Green iguanas are herbivores which means that they eat plant matter. In the wild, iguanas eat leaves, flowers, and some fruits.
Like many other reptiles, an iguana is an exotic pet that many animal lovers find amusing. There are so many unusual things about this reptile that may have enticed their owners to look after them. They do not look adorable like other household pets that we have come to know and see all around us. They are also quite huge for a pet. They can grow as long as more than 6 ft, have a particular body form such as the iguana’s dewlap (the skin flap found under the reptile’s chin), its tail that can grow or heal after being cut or broken, and its third eye (located at the top of its head). They also show unusual behavior to show either authority or submission. Nonetheless, these peculiar things about them also drive their keeps crazy for them.
If they are not provided with the right husbandry, they may soon display unnecessary behavior or may even fall sick. In case you would like to consider having this exotic animal as a pet, you need to be ready and well-informed of the things that will keep it healthy and happy. These include the right food and diet that will satisfy their hunger.
Iguanas are herbivores. This means that they live on a well-balanced diet food of greens, vegetables, fruits, as well as some other foods. You may see them occasionally feeding on insect, snail or bird’s egg, also. You need to make sure that you offer a variety of foods to your pet iguana. More of the greens and other vegetables should be provided for them and not protein-rich foods as these foods can damage the reptile’s liver. Most of the foods that you should be provided your pet iguana are easily available in local grocery stores as well as from pet stores.
Greens, Vegetables, and Fruits
Your reptile’s diet should consist more of fresh greens and vegetables. The food that you offer should be cut in small pieces or chopped so that your pet will find it easy to digest whatever you will feed it. Greens such as collard, mustard, dandelion greens, turnip greens, kale, and romaine lettuce, are some of the more common greens that your pet iguana would love to feast on. Your pet reptile will also be grateful if you offer shredded carrots, green beans, peas, and other beans, bell peppers, and even squash.
In case you would run out of fresh food to serve to your iguana, you can pick any frozen vegetable as well. But this should only be done during special cases. However, you need to make sure to warm the frozen vegetables to room temperature before offering them to your pet iguana. You may want to thaw the vegetable s first by running warm water over the frozen food.
If you toss in some fruits for your iguana, it will not complain. There are some fruits that your pet iguana actually enjoy. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, and cantaloupe are just some of these fruits. You need to chop the fruits before serving to your pet, however, as this will make eating easier.
Commercially Prepared Foods For Iguanas
To make serving food a lot more convenient for many pet owners, there are many sellers who have also packed commercially prepared best food for iguanas. If you can find the best brands of these iguana foods, you can stock up on them and make a nice addition to your pet reptile’s diet. These alternative foods usually come in pellet form. They can be mixed with other foods that your pet eats. To make them more palatable, you may need to moisten them first before offering to your pet iguana. These commercially prepared iguana foods should not be considered as the primary diet of your pet, however.
Bread and Grains
Your pet iguana will also occasionally chew on pieces of bread and grains. Serve the reptile some cooked pasta, cooked rice, or whole grain bread and it will be totally grateful for that. As always, you need to make sure that the food you will offer to your pet is finely chopped for easy eating. (more…)
