Contents Foreword 19 Historical Note: Mythical Iguana of the Mayas 23 Introduction 25 1. Iguana: The Species 29 Putting the Green Iguana in Context 29 Are Iguanas Really Little Dinosaurs? 29 Categorizing Living Organisms 30 The Iguana Family 32 Iguana iguana in its Natural Habitat 33 Other Wild Iguana Populations 34 Regional Characteristics 39 Variety of Color Patterns 42 External Body Parts 43 Skin and Scales 43 Spines 46 Head 46 Jowls 47 Cheek Scale 47 Eyes 48 Parietal (Third) Eye 51 Nose 53 Ears 53 Dewlap 55 Trunk 56 Neck 56 Arms and Legs 56 Hands and Feet 56 Claws 57 Vent 57 Femoral Pores 57 Tail 57 Internal Body Parts 60 7
8 Green Iguana The Ultimate Owner s Manual Circulatory System 60 Respiratory System 61 Digestive System 63 Hormonal System 68 Skeletal System 70 Male/Female Physical Characteristics 70 Common Iguana Behaviors 81 Thermoregulatory Behaviors 82 Basking 82 Panting 82 Communication Behaviors 82 Head Bobbing 83 Femoral Pore Secretions 84 Tongue Flicking 86 Territorial and/or Aggressive Behaviors 86 Head Bobbing 86 Launches 86 Body Compression ( Puffing Up ) 87 Tail Whipping 87 Biting 87 Hissing 88 Dewlap 88 Fighting 88 Movement Behaviors 89 Jumping 89 Climbing 90 Running 90 Swimming 91 Intelligence 91 Memory 92 Recognition 93 Awareness 94 Trainability 95 Playfulness/Mischievousness 95 Learning and Adaptability 97 Conclusion 98 2. Iguanas as Pets 99 Is an Iguana Right For You? 99 Important Considerations of Iguana Ownership 101 Who Are Iguana Owners? 106 Why People Own Iguanas 107 Pet Behavior 118 Personality 118 Affectionate? 121
Contents 9 Curiosity 123 Determination 125 Breaking Barriers 126 3. Choosing Your Pet 127 Required Preparation Before Purchase 127 Where to Get an Iguana 129 How to Choose the Best Iguana 137 Farmed-Raised vs. Wild-Caught 147 Size Options: Hatchling, Juvenile, Adult 149 Hatchling 150 Juvenile 151 Adult 154 Male vs. Female 161 How to Get Your Iguana Home 161 Once Home (Overview) 163 4. Housing 165 General Housing Considerations 165 Use the Wild as Your Guide 165 Habitat Options 167 Terrarium (Aquarium): For Hatchlings Only 167 Ultimate Iguana Habitat 168 Design Principles of the Ultimate Iguana Habitat 169 Getting a Habitat Built 176 Alternative Housing 176 Habitat Equipment 178 Lights 178 Photoperiod 179 Sunlight 179 Artificial Lighting 182 Alternative to UV: Dietary Supplements of D3 185 Heat 185 Ceramic Heater 186 Heat Bulbs 188 Hot Rocks (A Commercial Product) 191 Heating Pads 192 Heat Strips, Cables, and Tape 193 Self-Regulating Heat The Iguanamometer 194 Cooling 195 Ventilation 195 Humidity 196 Sensors 196 Thermometers 197 Thermostats 197
10 Green Iguana The Ultimate Owner s Manual Automatic Timers 197 Environment System Controllers 198 Multi-Plug Device 198 Habitat Environment 198 Climbing and Resting Areas 199 Plants: Real vs. Artificial 203 Substrate Options 205 Rocks 216 Hide Box 216 Food and Water Containers 218 Enriched Environment 219 Cagemates 225 Another Iguana 225 Non-Iguana Cagemates 228 Outings 230 Loose in the Home 230 Non-Caged Habitats 232 Dangers 239 Outdoor Cages 253 A Final Word on Housing 260 5. Feeding 261 General Feeding Considerations 261 Food Debates 261 Iguanas are Herbivores 262 Digestion: Special System 262 The Hindgut and the Importance of Temperature 262 Chop Food for Better Digestion 263 What to Feed Your Iguana 264 Vegetables 266 The Calcium/Phosphorus Balancing Act 266 Feed Plenty of Leafy Greens 267 Other Vegetable Foods 268 Go Easy on Some Veggies 269 Fruits: Use Sparingly 271 Grain-Based Foods 271 Supplemental Protein 273 The Protein Controversy 274 The Dangers of Too Much Protein 274 Commercial Diets 276 Vitamin and Mineral Supplements 278 Calcium 279 Types of Calcium Supplements 280 Natural Vitamin D3 281 Manufactured Vitamin D3 281
Contents 11 Multivitamins 283 Dosages for Supplements 284 Water 285 Problem Foods 287 Not Recommended 287 Dangerous 292 When, How Often, and How Much to Feed Your Iguana 296 When to Feed 296 How Iguanas Tell You They re Hungry 296 How Often to Feed 297 How Much to Feed 300 Food Preparation 305 Chopping/Shredding 306 Separate vs. Mixed 307 Tips for Obtaining Vegetables 308 When You re Away From Home 310 Finding an Iguana Sitter 310 Arrangements Depend on Time Away 311 6. Special Care 313 Claw Trimming 313 How to Properly Trim Claws 315 Scratch Reducers 321 Shedding 321 Things That Help Shedding 323 Shedding Specific Body Parts 325 Attitude and Diet Changes During Shedding 331 Cleanliness 332 Feces 332 Bathing 332 Exercise 338 Sunlight 339 Sleep 339 7. Medical Troubleshooting 345 Overview of Medical Problems 345 Log Book 347 First Aid 349 First-Aid Kit 349 Choosing a Veterinarian 352 Finding a Good Veterinarian 353 Preparing For Your First Appointment 355 The Bad, the Good, and the Outstanding 357 Administering Medicine 359 Topical Medicine 360
12 Green Iguana The Ultimate Owner s Manual Oral Medicine 360 Injectable Medicine 362 Common Medical Conditions 363 Detection 364 Metabolic Bone Disease 365 Respiratory Problems 370 Gout 371 Parasites: Worms and Bugs 373 Worms 373 Bugs 375 Ticks 375 Mites 377 Injuries 379 Broken Bones 380 Abscesses and Bites 381 Bleeding From Cuts 383 Claw Pulled Out 384 Tail Break 385 Environmental Conditions 387 Too Cold 387 Overheating 388 Thermal Burns 390 Dehydration 392 Behavioral Conditions 393 Stress 393 Color Changes 396 Moving Disorder 398 Hiding 399 Nose Rubbing 400 Digestive System Problems 401 Appetite: Reduced or Stopped 402 Prolapse 411 Regurgitation and Vomiting 413 Feces Problems 414 Runny Feces/Diarrhea 414 Smelly Feces 415 Constipation 417 Eyes, Nose, Mouth Problems 419 Eyes: Problems 419 Fluids From Nose 420 Mouth Rot 421 Skin Diseases 422 Black Fungus Disease 422 Blister Disease 423 Female Iguana Medical Problems 424
Contents 13 Egg Binding 424 Calcium Deficiency 427 Cloacal Infection 428 Male Iguana Medical Problems 428 Injuries from Breeding Aggression 428 Sperm Plug 429 Surgical Operations 430 Post-Operative Care: Za Story 432 Death 434 The End 435 What to Do After Your Pet Dies 435 To Get Another Iguana, or Not? 439 8. Domestication 441 Getting Your Iguana Out of its Habitat 442 Handling Your Iguana 444 Holding Your Iguana 446 Taming 450 Building Confidence 451 Close Encounters 452 Petting Your Iguana 455 Hand Feeding 456 Red Flags and Unhappy Cues 457 Taming Formula 469 Additional Taming Techniques 473 Taming Stories From The Field 480 Training 481 Training Formula 481 Correcting Specific Bad Behavior 484 Working With Good Behaviors 488 Out in Public 498 Transporting Your Iguana 498 Possible Hazards of Being Out in Public 500 Iguana on a Leash 502 Iguanas Training Their Owners 505 9. Breeding 507 In the Beginning 507 Adventures 508 Mama Iguana s Place 508 Huevos La Mancha Style 512 ZooDiego 517 Belize Zoo 518 Breeders 518 Commercial 518
14 Green Iguana The Ultimate Owner s Manual Pet Owners 520 Question and Answer 521 How do I know if I have a male or a female iguana? 521 What are the months that iguanas breed? 521 What physical signs would indicate an iguana is in breeding season? 522 How can I encourage mating? 523 Male iguanas: What problems might occur during breeding season? 530 Aggressive Attitude 530 War Injuries 539 Female Humans Singled Out During Breeding Season 542 Reduced or No Eating 544 Female iguanas: What problems might occur during breeding season? 547 Body Damage to the Iguana 547 Moody 547 Reduced or No Eating 548 Egg Binding 549 Calcium Deficiency 553 Courtship 553 The Act (Copulation) 554 Gestation 558 Egg Laying (Oviposition) 559 Nesting (or Egg-Laying) Box 559 What to Expect During Egg Laying 561 Egg Incubation 563 Fertile or Infertile Eggs? 564 Temperature and Humidity Requirements 566 The Incubator 569 Hatching 569 Starting to Hatch 569 Habitat and Food Requirements 572 New Homes 576 Future of Breeding 576 CONCLUSION 579 APPENDIX A: Iguana Questionnaire Research 581 Iguana Owner Questionnaire 581 Veterinarian Questionnaire 582 APPENDIX B: Suggested Reading and Additional Information 585 Books 585 Magazines 586
Contents 15 Major Herpetological and Scientific Societies 586 On-Line Services 587 Iguana Veterinarians 588 Iguana Rescue 588 Iguana-Related Products 588 Useful Conversion Tables 589 A Special Invitation 591 APPENDIX C: Iguana Pet Names 592 APPENDIX D: Construction of the Ultimate Iguana Habitat 599 Blue Prints 599 Materials 599 Constructing the Habitat, Piece by Piece 603 Assembly 609 Disassembly 612 APPENDIX E: Iguana Medical Photographs 613 APPENDIX F: Creating Custom Limbs and Ledges 618 APPENDIX G: Temporary Terrarium Set-Up (Hatchlings Only) 621 APPENDIX H: Egg-Laying (Nesting) Box 623 APPENDIX I: Egg Incubator 629 APPENDIX J: References Cited 634 Acknowledgments 638 About the Illustrators and Photographers 641 Index 645
Figures Drawing Mythical Mayan death canoe with iguana, other animals 22 1.1 Map Iguana iguana locations in the world 35 1.2 Photo Author in market where iguanas are sold as food 37 1.3 Photo Close-up of some iguanas for sale as food 37 1.4 Illustration External anatomy of an iguana 45 1.5 Drawing Iguana vision 48 1.6 Illustration Top view of an iguana s head and parietal eye 52 1.7 Illustration Location of femoral pores 59 1.8 Illustration Internal anatomy of an iguana 62 1.9 Photo Skeletal view of an entire iguana 72 1.10 Photo Skeletal view of the rib cage area 73 1.11 Photo Skeletal view of the foot 74 1.12 Photo Skull, side view 75 1.13 Photo Skull, top of head 76 1.14 Photo Skull, from below 77 1.15 Illustration Identifying a male and female iguana with a probe 78 2.1 Graph Iguana growth rate: one case study 105 2.2 Table Growth rate, an England study 106 2.3 Photo Oldest iguana, being held by owner 114 3.1 Table Iguana import count 146 4.1 Drawing Interior of Ultimate Iguana Habitat 171 4.2 Photo Iguana with a thermal burn on its side 190 5.1 Drawing Iguana Food Pyramid 268 5.2 graphs Iguana food consumption: one case study 302 16
Figures 17 6.1 Illustration Iguana claw trimming 318 6.2 Photo Iguana sleeping with her head on a pillow 342 8.1 Illustration How to properly hold a small iguana 448 8.2 Illustration How to properly hold a large iguana 449 8.3 Photo Trained iguana sitting up for food 499 9.1 Photo Nest with iguana eggs, in the wild 516 9.2 Graphs Male iguana attitude during breeding: one case study 534 9.3 Photo Iguanas mating 556 9.4 Tables Four owners egg-laying data 563 9.5 Photo Measuring iguana eggs in the wild 564 9.6 Tables Temperature of nest sites in the wild 568 9.7 Photo Hatchling iguanas sticking their heads out of the sand 571 9.8 Tables Iguana hatchling sizes in the wild 573 A.1 Tables Iguana questionnaire research results 583 D.1 Drawing Ultimate Iguana Habitat: Adult 600 D.2 Drawing Ultimate Iguana Habitat : Juvenile 601 D.3 Drawing Detail of wall construction 605 E.1 Photo Sliding door crushes iguana s tail 613 E.2 Photo Cat bites iguana 614 E.3 Photo Dog bites iguana 614 E.4 Photo Iguana falls and breaks leg 615 E.5 Photo Household heat lamp burns iguana 615 E.6 Photo Iguana with caustic chemical burns 616 E.7 Photo Iguana swallows coins and watch band 616 E.8 Photo Paper towel blocks intestines 617 E.9 Photo The paper towel that killed this iguana 617 F.1 Drawing Detail of custom limb assembly 620 H.1 Drawing Nesting (egg-laying) box 627 I.1 Drawing Egg incubator 631