Diet
Enclosure
Iguanas grow relatively big in size and are tree- dwellers/arboreal meaning they spend most of their lives on trees, therefore to keep them happy & healthy, they need a large and tall enclosure with lots of vines and branches allowing them to climb up, down, move sideways and comfortably turn around. The enclosure should be well ventilated with glass in the front for a better display and animal friendly secure mesh on the sides.
People often get them as babies at about 8-10 inches in size, not realizing that they can grow up to six feet in length and can weigh almost 10 kgs.
Ideal Enclosure size: 5 Ft by 5ft base (ground area) and 6ft height.
They need at least 15-20 sqft ground area, meaning depending on space availability one can even have an enclosure of 3ft by 6ft (ground area) and 6 ft height.
The good thing about owning an Iguana in India, Specifically Mumbai is that the temperature and humidity are similar to that of South America, making conditions favorable for the iguana to thrive.
Temperature: 25 degree Celsius at the cool end and 35 degrees Celsius at the warm end (basking area).
Lighting: UVB full spectrum light is mandatory for at least 10-12 hours daily. Lack of UVB can cause vitamin D deficiency. These lights are easy to source.
It is best to create the enclosure in a balcony/terrace or near the window, so that the iguana can benefit from the natural UV rays of the sun.
Food and water dish should be heavy or secured well on a branch, as it is very easy for the iguana to tip them over.
Don't's
The Joy of owning an Iguana
Once you provide your Iguana with all its requirements, It can be extremely rewarding as iguanas are intelligent creatures and can bond with their owner. It’s the closest thing to living with a real life Dragon/Dinosaur.
Children and other house guests can’t seem to get enough of their mystical behavior and Godzilla like looks. Unlike owning a monitor or Tegu, Iguanas are easy to feed as they are 100% vegetarian.
They often enjoy being pet and can even come when called as they associate you as the provider of food. To make things more interesting, they come in a variety of different color morphs like Green, Red, Blue, Albino & Crimson. Red Iguana (Red morph Green Iguana)
Thank you for going through the care sheet. You are now ready to care for your new iguana.
This care sheet has been carefully created for India by Shayan Ashraf, the owner of Drogo pets with more than 2 decades of hands on experience in advanced pet keeping. The details are verified by herpetologists & reptile specialist veterinarians.
The pictures used in our care sheet are in house and/or purchased and licensed for publication.
For any queries feel free to connect at www.drogopets.in Or simply call us on
Contact details of reptile specialist veterinarians in Mumbai
Dr. Rina Devs Animal & Bird clinic: 09967772829
