What Do Iguanas Eat?

-by Abhrajita Mondal

–Reading Time – 7 min Approx

You must be wondering, ‘What Do Iguanas Eat’? Well, they eat a variety of foods, but mainly comprising leaves. In order to understand their eating habits better, you need to also know about their life cycle and other features. Then you will be able to understand these docile creatures in their entirety. Iguanas are 5-6 feet long at times and qualify as Giant iguanas. Green iguanas are the most common. However, they may not be green all the time. They may be blue or grey.

Iguanas are herbivores. It means that they eat plants. You can call them, leaf eaters specifically. In the wild, iguanas feed on leaves of various plants and vines, as well. Most veterinarians will tell you, to feed only leaves to your young pet iguanas, but stored pellets are equally good. You can feed your young iguana, daily. The older ones that are overweight, should be fed on alternate days.

Apart from food supplies, iguanas need to drink a lot of water. Especially green iguanas need to drink a lot of water. You can keep them hydrated by spraying them with water often. Bathing them twice a week, will be a very good idea. You can also put a water dish in their exposure. Then, they can splash around as per their wishes. We will now tell you in detail – ‘What Do Iguanas Eat’? Through this article, you will learn about their food habits and habitat as well.

What Do Iguanas Eat?

Iguanas love to gorge on dark-green vegetables. In fact, 80-90 percent of their diets comprise vegetables. And, 10-20 percent comprises fruits. You can feed colored vegetables to your iguana. Light green-colored vegetables are less avoided, as they contain less nutrients suitable for iguanas. Iceberg lettuce, and celery are best avoided, as they contain mostly water.  That brings us to the question ‘What Vegetables Can Iguanas Eat’?

Your iguana will love calcium-rich vegetables. They include collard greens, beetroot greens, and mustard greens. You can feed the upper foliage of most starchy vegetables, too. Moreover, there are few others, that you can eat as well. Sweet potato, bell peppers, asparagus, cucumber, and okra are vegetables that everybody loves.

Swiss Chard, beet greens, and spinach contain a lot of calcium. However, you have to combine other vegetables and food groups as well. These vegetables contain oxalates, that combine with the nutrients from other foods and render them unabsorbable. Thus, the iguana is not able to absorb the nutrients from the food. You ought to understand the process, more in details. Oxalates combine with calcium, that are available from other resources. This is especially so for the green iguana. Calcium is an important nutrient for the bone development of iguanas. If their body is unable to absorb the calcium, then they will develop metabolic bone diseases and also have other health issues. You also need to avoid foods that are high in phosphorus. They also act in a similar manner to oxalates.

Cabbage, kale, and mustard greens contain goitrogens. It means, they lead to Goiter. So, you have to avoid them, or feed low amounts only. You also need to understand the mechanism. Goitrogenic foods bind with the iodine, in the food. Iodine also regulates the functioning of vital organs. There might be severe health complications, apart from Goiter.

• List of Vegetables:

Alfalfa, Arugula, Chicory, Mustard greens, Collard greens, Endive, Thyme, Prickly Pear Cactus Pads, Turnip greens are some of the vegetables that you can give in large quantities.

Occasionally, you can feed your iguana, Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary, Peppermint, Watercress, and Sage, to name a few. The above answers ‘what vegetables can iguanas eat’?

What Fruits Do Iguanas Eat?

You already know by now, that fruits should make up only 20 percent of their diet. Apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, grapes, star fruits, guavas, and kiwis are good for your pet iguana. Iguanas need a lot of nutrients, and only water-rich vegetables may prove to be nutrient-deficient for it. So, you should feed fruits sparingly. There are various edible flowers as well, that you can feed your iguana. Geraniums, dandelions, hibiscus, and nasturtiums are especially great for your iguana’s diet. Young ones also love legumes, pinto beans, and kidney beans as well. That answers your question, what fruits do iguanas eat?

Pellet Foods and Supplements for Your Iguana:

You will also find commercial food for your iguana. They are specially formulated to deliver all nutrients that your iguana will need. You can add these with fruits and vegetables. Additionally, you have to remember to buy pellets that are specially formulated for lizards and rodents. There is a special process, how you should feed the pellets. You can soak them in water, and give them to the iguana.

You can also provide supplements to your iguanas. The main supplements that your iguana requires are calcium ones. Vitamin supplements are also great. Moreover, you can also fee rabbit alfalfa pellets to your iguana. They love to eat alfalfa hay, so this will prove to be beneficial. You can also feed sprouts to your iguana. They do not eat seeds normally. But sprout seeds suit them. Now, your iguana will not get all the hydration from their food alone. So, you also need to give it some water.

There is another factor, that affects iguana food choices. So, what do iguanas eat in the wild? They eat many human foods in captivity. However, the situation is quite dissimilar in the wild. They have to hunt for their food. They will also hunt down small bird nests and eat bird eggs. In the wild, iguanas also eat leafy greens from wild trees and vines. They also eat wild fruits. You might be thinking, what do iguanas eat in the rain forest?

You will find green iguanas living in the rain forest. They are found in Mexico, Central, as well as South America. You will also find them in Florida and Hawaii. They love tropical rain forests. In the rain forest, they live high up in the tree canopy. They can feed on up to 100 species of plants. Wild green iguanas can also eat grasshopper and tree snails.

Appearance – Habitat and Lifestyle of the Iguana:

You will find iguanas in a riot of colors from green to red. They can change colors with the environment as well. The green iguanas are the most common, and they have a ‘photosensory organ’, on their forehead. The organ is able to capture light. They also identify their owners. There are some unique qualities that sets them apart. The males often protect the females in a family. The baby iguanas stay together for about a year, before going their separate ways.

You should also know about the habitat and lifestyle of the iguana. They are arboreal creatures from the lizard family. Moreover, they are fast and good climbers. Even if they fall from a height of 50 ft, they can still escape unhurt. The winter sees them crawling on the ground for warmth. They are solitary reptiles and live near the water bodies. Moreover, they are excellent swimmers. The iguanas move through water, with powerful tail strokes. When they face danger, they hide or freeze. In the water, you can find diving underwater, when they view danger. Moreover, they are great at camouflage. You will find them blending with their surroundings.

They also have risk from predators. Large falcons, owls, and eagles hunt them. Digs and wild cats also attack them. Humans are also known to eat them, and their eggs. They are also used as bait to catch crocodiles. The species is endangered today, and it is getting lesser in number each day. The Island Puerto Rico has around four million iguanas. Moreover, you can find marine iguanas in Galapagos Island, and the numbers can go up to three lacs.

The iguanas need specific light and temperature settings. Moreover, they also need complex enclosures. You have to put in plenty of perches and swings for them. They require a long time, to socialize with humans. And, they also show aggression during the mating season. They also need both hot and cold settings inside the enclosure, to thermoregulate. You have to lay out substrates inside the enclosure as well. The baby iguanas often feed on these substrates. Paper towels are a great choice. If there are adults inside the enclosure, you can spread Cypress mulch, coconut fiber bedding, and organic topsoil as substrate. You should also add live plants inside the area.

Iguanas eat a lot and spread a lot of fecal matter inside the cages. Therefore, you have to ensure to clean the cage regularly. You have to clean everything with soap and water, every three to four weeks. Do not apply pesticides on plants that you are going to put inside the cage. Iguanas live for 15-25 years. Therefore, you need to be dedicated to them, in entirety.

If you want to keep an iguana, you have to take good care of it. They need a lot of care, and they also have longevity, so you have to be a lifelong dedicated owner. You must do thorough research on the iguana, before buying them as a pet. Adoption from rescue centers is a great choice.

-by Abhrajita Mondal

Dear Reader, Hope you liked the post. If you think our initiative “The Creative Post” is worth supporting, then please support us by paying the amount you think we are worthy of. We believe, the value of content should be decided by the consumer. Hence we request you to evaluate our worth and pay accordingly by Clicking Here.