General Information
Green Iguanas commonly sold in the U.S.A. at an alarming rate to the point that
there is over thousands in rescues and thrown out into the streets to die.Iguanas with the proper care can live up to 30 years
and can reach 7 feet long and some can get up to 8 feet. Iguanas are strictly
Vegetarians and are tree dwelling animals(they
live in the canopy). Iguanas are territorial animals and require all of space and time. These wonderful creatures are a lifetime
commitment.
Iguana ColorsMexico:Very long dorsal crests and longer snouts. Sexually mature males
and females have brownish-rusty orange arms and legs under a predominantly green body. Some have rostral horns or nubs.
Central
America:Pale green, with silvery-light blue-white heads(when excited or content)and bold brown-black belly stripes. Sexually
mature iguanas gerally display varying amounts of orange year round, especially the dominant males.Some iguanas may have a
network of fine black lines on thier bodies, which is actually their skin color showing between their scals. Some may have
horns or nubs.
South America:Blue color is retained in the skin of many of these iguanas. The blue iguanas' heads
are shaped a bit differently, with a shorter snout and slightly convex hump between the nostrils and eye area on top of the
face(as opposed to the flat head of the Mexican and Central American iguanas). Many are striking due to their deep reddish
eyes, black lacing around the scales on their face, and black skin and scales on their eyelids and dewlaps.The dorsal crests
are shorter, and sexually mature lizards rarely display the orange coloring of their Central American cousins.
AnatomyHere
is a link to better describe it:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/glossary.htmREMINDER:Not all vets are HERP friendly you should find one before picking up your ig.
Common
InjuriesAbscesses:These are pockets of infection containing solid pus. This commonly occurs as a result of
an injury to the tail, toes, necks, and legs, this commonly happens when you keep two iguanas together. Rostral abscesses
occur when the iguana keeps rubbing on the screen of the cage or keeps hitting it on a hard surface.
Treatment:See
a vet asap to get antibiotics first and then if that doesn't work the abscess would have to removed surgically.
Claws
- Broken or Torn Off:When walking , climbing, or jumping they may jerk their toes instead of dislodging them, resulting
in a broken toe, a ripped out claw, or both.
Treatment:Sometimes the claw may stll be attached to the fingertip
by the underlying fleshy structure or a tiny shred of skin. At this point it would be best to remove the claw. If it just
a tiny shred of tissue is holding the claw on, you can quickly pull it off; otherwise, you should seek vet to cut it off.
If the claw is gone then dip the toe tip in bedadine and soak for several minutes. Top the tip with neosporn.
Dry Gangrrene
of Tails and Toes:A bad injury can cause this.
Treatment:Amputation!
Injured Tail:When the tail has
been caught or crushed in something.
Treatment:Starting at the end of the tail, may begin to die due to an infection
Known as dry gangrene. The tail turns dark brown or black, becomes very hard and brittle, shrinks inward, and collapes in
on itself. Sometimes the injury or infection may occur toward the middle of the tail, turning mushy, even oozy. As the infection
spreads, the blood and nerve supply are disrupted in this area, causing the end of the tail to start dying; this infected
tail must be dealt with by your vet, usually by amputation, long before it get to the point of the end dying and becoming
brittle.
Injured Toes:Injuries to toes are due to a crush or twist trauma. The injured toe may look healthy, green,
and filled out, but it may flop around uncontrollably when the iguana moves it. The toe may start turning black, brittle,
or hard.
Treatment:The toe should be amputated, both to prevent the spread of any infection and to eliminate the
risk of the toe being caught in something and literally ripped off.
Tail Drop:Tails can and will drop for
no reason.
Treatment:1.Soak the iguana in warm, chest-deep water to which you've added enough bedadine to make the
water the color of medium-dark tea(I more so go for darker). 2. Leave the iguana in the tub for 15-20 minutes, refreshing
the warm water if necessary. 3. Remove the iguana from the tub and flush the wound with diluted bedadine. 4. At night, put
neospoorin on the stump. 5. Repeat this for a week until its healing over.
DiseasesBlack Spots:This
is one of two things either a fungus(Typically have a furry look but not feel to them and usually appear in circular patches,
With atleast two or three patches clustered together.) or a bacterial infection.
Treatment:See a vet immediately!
Hypercalcemia:
Is caused by a high level of calcium in their blood.
Treatment: With out treatment there are serious side effects.
Hypervitaminosis:
Is caused by excess of administration or absorbtion of vitamins.
Treatment: This can only be dianosed at the vets
so its important to keep going to your vets for check ups.
Kidney Failure: Built up of protein.
Signs include: weight loss despite eating, anorexia, lethargic, swollen or distended abdomen, frequent drinking
or voiding, a grossly swollen neck and/or dewlap.
Treatment: Seek immediate medical attention!
I am working
on more so stay tuned!
General Care Sheet
Natural Range: Found in much of Latin America
Natural Diet: Dark leafy greens, vegetables,
and fruit
Captive Diet: Collard, mustard, turnip, and dandelion greens. Green beans, snow peas, sugar peas,
broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and corn. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana, mango, grapes,
apples, and tomatoes are good fruits for them. *Keep fruits to a small portion size to prevent diarrhea. For more information
on their diet click
HERE
Average Size: On average they will reach 5 foot long but many are capable of reaching 6 foot plus.
Lighting:
UV lighting is required for these animals. (Repti-Sun 5.0 is recommended)
Temperature: Ambient: 85°F Basking:
90°F
Humidity: 60% but when in shed 75%
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon for babies but they quickly
grow out of so it highly recommend to use a 75 gallon for babies. Adult on the other hand require more space so you can use
one of three things: Custom build a cage(the cage should be 6ft long X 30in wide X 6ft tall), buy a custom cage, or use a
spare bedroom.
