With the largest lizard and cold-blooded Reptile found in the rainforest, Iguana is the first to come to our mind with its 35 different species. We pet them, nurture them, entertain us with their unique feature and action, or sometimes eat them in some part of north Iguana is one of their delicacies.
Iguanas meat is high in protein no wonder people eat them, you might be curious, how our pet Iguanas eat or you just can’t point out how does Iguana eat? Here are some things that might spark your interest.
What do iguanas eat as pets?
We adore our pet Iguanas, and they provide us with great delight. As a result, we’re inquisitive as to how we can feed them because we’re concerned about their health.
In the animal food pyramid, iguanas are herbivores, which means they should eat green grass found in veggies or anywhere else that is vegetarian to keep them healthy and living.
The reason that they eat vegetables is to prevent issues with their kidneys, for iguana meat as their food is very toxic, they have very sensitive health since they are so tiny compared to us so they cannot afford to be sick. Feeding your Iguana meat could lead to serious illness or worse is death, so be careful when feeding them meat.
Veggies with Calcium is the one you should be eyeing for your Iguana. It’s very recommended that they eat food rich in calcium, although they all need nutrients calcium helps the iguana grow, and the iguana’s skeletal structure remains steady throughout its life. It helps your iguana bones to be firmer and healthier.
List of Veggies Rich in Calcium that is good for your Iguana:
- collard greens
- mustard greens
- Swiss chard
- beet greens
- alfalfa hay
- bok choy
- parsley
This isn’t a complete list but here are some of the veggies you can feed them that are rich in protein.
As herbivore animals, Iguana’s cannot eat meat because as I said it could be toxic for their health but meat is not the only thing they should avoid. Live insects, mice, crickets, mealworms, tofu, cat food, dog food, or any high-protein food are the thing that cannot be fed to your Iguanas.
Even though our pet Iguanas are herbivores, they are limited from eating certain vegetables. Let’s see what it is, shall we?
Some vegetables are high in oxalic acid, therefore you should avoid feeding them to your Iguana pet.
- Celery
- Parsley
- Spinach
- Rhubarb
- Leeks
- Beetroot
The reason why Oxalic acid is bad for your Iguanas Health is that Oxalic acid is tied up with calcium, causing your iguana not to absorb the calcium, as you know calcium is very important to them.
How often do iguanas eat?
How often should I feed my iguana? Putting a proper diet on your Iguana is very important if we are talking about health. You should feed your Iguana daily, although some people claim that feeding your Iguana every 2-3 days is alright, there might be some issues you might encounter.
Expert Tip: Feeding your Iguana every 2-3 days is not very healthy, so it’s still advisable to feed them daily.
As for their age and size, their eating schedule doesn’t matter even though they are young and an adult, you should still feed them daily. Please keep in mind that both baby and adult iguanas should eat the same food.
From the start, make sure to include a mix of greens, vegetables, and fruits. Otherwise, your iguana will develop a taste for certain foods.
Can I overfeed my Iguana?
Overfeeding your iguanas is not a very good choice since they can pick up some other health issues. So no, you cannot overfeed your Iguana. And it’s very advisable to feed your Iguanas every morning. But if your Iguana is overweight, here are some helpful tips you can follow to help them lose weight.
Set healthy eating habits
Setting good healthy eating habits for your iguana can help them lose weight since you can monitor how much they eat for a day, you can increase their food intake if needed, and you can decrease it if necessary.
Take them to a veterinarian
Taking them to the Doctor for a quick checkup wouldn’t hurt that much. Veterinarians are very professional when it comes to your pet’s health and they are useful when it comes to this type of situation, they can give your Iguana a few medications and tips on how they can lose weight.
Iguana Food List
List of food you should avoid feeding to your iguana
Feeding your iguanas can be very tough since they are a lot of food they shouldn’t eat that can affect their health. Here is some food that you don’t know can be dangerous to your pet iguana.
What are goitrogens, and why should you avoid foods that are goitrogenic?
Goitrogenic foods adhere to the iodine in the meal and interfere with absorption, therefore you should avoid providing them to your iguana. Thyroid problems, such as goiter, might result from this.
Veggies are not the only thing can Iguana’s eat they can also eat flowers. Plants that are hazardous and non-toxic to iguanas. When providing plants to your iguana, make sure to wash them before giving it to them. Don’t ever give your pet a vegetable that has been sprayed with insecticides.
Because insecticides have some hazardous elements that can cause damage to your pet’s health, it is a must that you go to the nearest veterinarian as soon as possible.
iguana no plants that have been sprayed with insecticides, and see your veterinarian if you have any questions.
Here are some veggies and Flower that might be harmful to Iguanas:
- Buttercup
- Rhubarb leaves
- Primrose
- Poison ivy
- Azalea
- Cacao tree
- Starflower
- Wild cherry
- Felt plants
- Poinsettia
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Marijuana
- Wisteria
- Castor bean (can be extremely dangerous because this plant is very poisonous)
- Dumb cane
- Pokeroot and pokeweed
- May Apple
- Any Weed plant
- Spurge Laurel
- Soybean
These are some things that you shouldn’t feed your pet since they could suffer a very painful disease because of this type of food. But they can also enjoy a very healthy snack that is non-toxic for them.
- Raspberry
- Acacia
- Dandelion
- Ficus leaves
- Bamboo
- Chickweed
- Melons
- guava
- Chickweed
- Natal plum
- Clover
- Radish
- Rosemary
- Raspberry
Iguanas can eat flowers and leaves but did you know that they can also eat Fruits. Iguana’s diet should consist of 20% of fruits. List of fruits for Iguana:
- Apple
- Grape
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Dates
- Mangoes
- Peaches
- Apricot
- Star fruit
- Melons
- Kiwis
- Guava
While with apple, pear, and banana you can include the skin of the fruit in their diet.
Does my iguana need water?
Your iguana should have access to fresh, clean water at all times. Iguanas will bathe in the water dish as well as drink from it. Drinking and bathing help keep iguanas hydrated because reptiles absorb water through their skin. Water should be placed in a hefty basin that is difficult to tip over.
Iguanas frequently excrete in their water bowl while bathing therefore changing the water, and cleaning the bowl on a daily basis. You should also sprinkle your iguana with a water sprayer a few times a week to keep him hydrated, particularly during the winter when the air is cooler and drier.
Giving your pet a fresh bowl of water is very necessary because they need water or else they wouldn’t survive pet are just like us, humans, they need necessary things in order to survive water, and food.
So not giving your pet water can cause them to have a disease or worse, die because of thirst. Giving them food isn’t the only thing that you should be giving them water, too.
Your iguana should have access to fresh, clean water at all times. Iguanas will bathe in the water dish as well as drink from it.
Expert Tip: Drinking and bathing help keep iguanas hydrated because reptiles absorb water through their skin.
Water should be placed in a hefty basin that is difficult to tip over. Iguanas frequently excrete in their water bowl while bathing, therefore changes the water and clean the bowl on a daily basis.
You should also sprinkle your iguana with a water sprayer a few times a week to keep him hydrated, particularly during the winter when the air is cooler and drier. Food that is healthy for your pet:
- Zucchini
- Collards
- Dandelion
- Mustard
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Sweet peppers
- Romaine lettuce
- Pumpkins
- Corn
- Squash
- Turnip greens
- Hibiscus leaves
- Green and sugar peas
Iguana’s Diet
Your Iguana is a vegetarian they need to eat 90% Dark green vegetable and 20% fruits.
Should I include insects in my iguanas Diet?
The answer is clearly no. Iguana shouldn’t be fed alive insects or meat. They only eat leaves, they are called herbivores for some reason. If you gave them insects to eat, they might have digestion problems.
Iguanas should be fed primarily vegetables and greens that are devoid of pesticides and pollutants. Small amounts of fruits, dry food, and vitamins are also appreciated by the animals.
Iguana’s Favorite Foods
Iguanas are herbivores, specifically producing green (leaf eaters), hence dark green leafy vegetables are the best meal for them. Other non-leafy vegetables, fruits, flowers, and commercial iguana food are also favorites. What exactly is this?
Conclusion
Iguana is herbivores meaning they are vegetarians, feeding Iguana can be very tricky, especially as they are quite delicate. As they are sensitive, there are a few other reminders to take note of that they need to stay away from toxic vegetables that might harm their health.
Vegetables are not the only thing they can eat, they also eat flowers and fruits. You should give your pet some water. Just like us, they need to be hydrated. Calcium is the most healing element that they should be taking and staying away from toxic vegetables.
