Coming home with a baby iguana is usually an impulse buy. People see them in one setting or another and end up running out and getting one without realizing how much work they actually are. Don t make that mistake, read a little more and then decide if you are ready to be an iguana owner.
Choosing your baby iguana is one of the most important decisions you will make when getting your pet. You really need to be careful. Never blindly take one from a shop or private owner. You want to make sure that it is living in a clean environment (if the tank is dirty and the iguana is lying around in its own feces, it very well may be susceptible to very harmful bacteria). You are also going to want your iguana to be alert but not overly aggressive, it should watch your hand going into the tank to get it, but it should not be going nuts or flipping out. Also make sure the skin in healthy, that it is not skin and bones and the eyes are clear.
Now you are going to have to create a natural habitat for this iguana. You will do so by replicating to the best of your ability, the tropical environment in which they usually exist. First things first though, you need to get a large tank, in the 50 gallon range. This is a good start, but eventually, you will have to move the iguana to a dedicated room or very large cage as they get quite large.
You must now create natural surroundings in their holding area. Appropriately sized branches and a good heat source will do the trick. The iguana needs to be able to move around on the branches easily so don t get them too big when they are a baby. Let them get larger as the animal grows. You will also need to keep the tank around 85 degrees during the day and not let it get lower than around 72 at night.
An iguana will feed off of natural sunlight. It naturally supplies them with nutrients that they need. Do not believe anyone that tells you they can give you a light source that will duplicate this because it is a flat out lie. You do need to light the cage but the iguana will get its sunlight from the sun. Either locate the tank within a natural source or make sure you give the iguana access to an area where the sunlight will hit it.
The cage or tank is also going to have to be kept moist. An iguana does not really drink, they will use their water bowl or pool for soaking. If you notice that they are consuming large amounts of water, it means that you do not have enough moisture in the air (an iguana will actually absorb their water intake through their skin via the air). Invest in a good thermometer/humidity gauge that will allow you to keep track of this.
The fun is only just beginning. Once you get this little monster home you are going to have to worry about their health, proper feeding, trimming their claws and of course taming your wild baby iguana. The information needed to properly do this thing cannot be relayed in a paragraph so go grab a good book and make sure you are educated before taking on this responsibility.
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