Pets are different: someone loves affectionate and graceful cats, someone likes the dedication and loyalty of dogs. Many people like to watch the underwater inhabitants for hours or listen to the voiced voices of birds. And exotic lovers prefer a reptile society, one of which is our current heroine - an ordinary green iguana.
Habitat
Species Iguana-iguana belongs to the genus Real iguanas of the Iguana family. The birthplace of this large lizard is Mexico, from where the species spread and today is widely represented in South and Central America; it was also brought to Florida.
The common iguana prefers to settle in tropical rainforests and dense thickets on the banks of rivers. This is a tree species of reptiles, and therefore they spend the bulk of their lives on trees.
Common Iguana: Description
Today, this lizard can be increasingly seen in home terrariums. The ordinary iguana (you can see the photo in the article) is a large animal. An adult reaches a length of 1.5 meters (with a tail), although real giants are often found - up to two meters or more. The size of the lizard depends on age and gender: males are much larger than females. What does an iguana look like? Photos published in various publications for naturalists demonstrate how diverse the representatives of this species are.
Some individuals have thickened skin protrusions located on the upper part of the nose. They are small, barely noticeable, and can reach huge sizes. Some lizards may have several such “horns”. The diversity of the species is also manifested in the color of these lizards. Although they are called green, in reality they are not always. An ordinary iguana can be painted in a wide variety of shades of green: from saturated to very light. Blotches of various shades of blue are allowed.
In nature, there are rare representatives of the species, with a color that differs from most animals of this species.
Brown iguanas
This is an ordinary iguana, the description of which in the directories confirms that this lizard can have a tan, brown or cream color. Sometimes this shade can be unnatural, but caused by stress or illness of the animal.
Blue lizards
Such an ordinary iguana comes from Peru. Intense turquoise skin color distinguishes these lizards. The iris of such individuals is usually reddish-brown. Thin black stripes run across the body, tail, and folds of the skin.
In very young ordinary animals, the color may also be blue, but with age it changes to green.
Red morph
In nature, such a color does not exist: it is obtained artificially. An iguana, an ordinary red morph, acquires such a skin color due to its nutritional characteristics. Animals are fed pigmented natural fruits and vegetables - red bell pepper, for example, or artificially pigmented fish food (for parrot fish). Naturally, these products do not replace the main diet, but are only an additive.
Do not be alarmed if an ordinary iguana at home will change color. These lizards change it throughout life, and it depends on their condition and living conditions. Young growth changes color during molting, adult individuals can change color under the influence of temperatures: if the animal is cold, its color darkens, and in the heat it turns pale. Most males change color several months before the breeding season. Wavy bright stripes of orange appear on their body near the chin, on the body and legs, on the spikes.
But if the color of your pet becomes dark gray, dark brown, yellow or black, you need to contact a specialist to identify the causes of such a change, since in most cases this can be a sign of an animal’s disease or adverse conditions. With good care of this reptile, its life expectancy is on average up to 12 years, although there are also long-livers who live up to 18 years.
Lifestyle
An ordinary iguana is an animal leading a daily lifestyle. It is active in the morning and evening (before sunset). At this time, in natural conditions, the lizard climbs into the trees, where it enjoys basking in the sun. It is necessary for reptiles to produce vitamin D and thermoregulate.
An ordinary iguana not only perfectly climbs trees, it is also a first-class swimmer. It is water that saves the lizard in case of danger. Subject to the conditions for keeping the green iguana, the owner will be surprised by the calm and complaisant nature of an unusual pet.
You can tame a young lizard by taking it often in your hands: it quickly gets used to it and becomes manual.
Conditions of detention
To maintain the iguana, you will need a vertical type terrarium. For a young animal, a small capacity of 45x45x60 cm is suitable. But since this species of lizards grows quite quickly, after six months your pet will hardly fit in its house and will need to be replaced.
It would seem that you can immediately purchase a more spacious terrarium, but experts believe that in a smaller volume the young lizard feels more confident, more secure. In such conditions, it will be much easier to tame it.
For an adult, the terrarium should be spacious so that the animal in it not only fits completely, but also leaves room for a pool, which is vital for green iguanas. The minimum size for an adult is 80x70x120 cm.
Terrarium decoration
According to experienced owners, the best option for covering the terrarium floor is a rubber lawn mat. It will not only give a more attractive look, but also allow you to keep the lizard house clean: microorganisms that can harm the health of your pet will not start in it. Before placing such a rug, it should be washed and well ventilated so that odors do not irritate the reptile.
It will also require a spacious pool, because it is in the water that defecation defecates. For this reason, water should be regularly cleaned and changed. Lighting for a green iguana is considered to be comfortable lighting day for at least twelve hours. Try to simulate circadian rhythms. In this case, the reptile will feel more comfortable in captivity.
A prerequisite for home maintenance of the iguana is a fluorescent lamp with a UVB emitter. This simple device will help the lizard to produce the vitamin D it needs. On warm and sunny days, the terrarium can be taken outside so that the lizard enjoys natural sunlight. But at the same time, direct rays should not fall on it, since the glass will heat up very much and will change the microclimate of the terrarium.
Temperature
For a green iguana, a multilevel temperature regime is very important. This is due to the fact that reptiles are cold-blooded. The total temperature in the terrarium should not fall below +28 ° C, at the warming point this indicator increases to +35 ° C, and at night it can drop to +20 ° C. The lamp at the warming point should be placed at a safe distance (20 cm) above the top branch in the terrarium. The water temperature in the pool is not higher than +25 ° C.
Humidity
Like most tropical animals, an iguana needs a humidity of at least 80%. To achieve this level, you can put an aquarium heater (previously well insulated) in the pool: it will maintain the required temperature of the water and create evaporation that will help maintain humidity. In addition, the terrarium should be sprayed with warm water three times a day.
Feeding
Green iguana eats leaves of dandelion, clover, salad, loves various fruits. Vegetables are cooler, although in many respects it depends on the taste preferences of your lizard. It is not recommended to give your exotic pet cabbage. It is advisable to add germinated mung bean, especially when the offspring are fed, as it is rich in protein.
While the lizard is young, it can be pampered with insects (in small quantities). For this, crickets, zofobas are suitable. Salad, which is 70% leafy greens, and the remaining 30% is chopped vegetables and fruits, your ordinary iguana will be happy to eat. Nutrition in the life of this reptile is of great importance, but do not forget about vitamins: they should be given twice a week. Put in a terrarium feeder with crushed carapace or eggshell: this treat will become a source of calcium.
