Green Cuddly Giants: Advice and Tips on Pet Iguanas

Have you ever considered getting a pet iguana?

Iguanas are native to South America and surrounding areas, and you can usually find them treetop in thick forests. The transition from a plush forest habitat to an aquarium can be rather trying, but you'll come to find that these beautiful lizards can make amazingly loyal pets. Even as they grow in length and weight they can be just as lovable as any other house pet.

Many people look at iguanas and think of them as a wild animal, a dry unloving animal. When in fact iguanas are a very intelligent, well-behaved, and welcoming animal. In the wild the Iguanas spends its days sunbathing at the tops of trees and eating leaves and they sleep during the night, which make the general care of the iguana very manageable.

All if the iguana's natural instincts will transfer over to their new habitat of an aquarium, so beware of flinging your hand into their cage, as they are very territorial. Iguanas also have a natural defense mechanism built in where if an animal where to get a hold of its tail, the iguana will detach the tail and flee. So be cautious when grabbing the iguana, because if you get a hold of the tail and the iguana becomes frightened it will detach it even in its new home. The iguana needs a habitat matching its natural one, which means researching the best possible care for the iguana is recommended.

Here are a few additional tips for new iguana owners:

• The larger the aquarium, the better. Igauanas grow at a very quick pace, and if you buy a cozy cage when it's young, you'll find yourself buying a new one every few months.

• A constant heat source for the animal is a must. The iguanas are used to sunbathing in high temperatures, so they need that heat to perform normal body functions.

1. Stay away from heated rocks as they can scald the iguana.
2. Make sure the heating lamp is not inside the cage, as iguanas are very smart and love to climb.
3. Be sure to provide cover from the heat as iguanas love to cool down at night, but keep the lamp on at all times.

• Iguanas are not the kind of pets that will eat anything, make sure to stick to a certain diet.

1. Iguanas are herbivores, they love fruits and vegetables.
2. Try not to feed them insects, they don't eat them naturally in the wild.

Igauanas can make wonderful pets with the correct care and facilitation. Be aware that fully grown iguanas can weigh up to 8-10 pounds and five feet long. So if you intend to keep these pets long term either have an extremely large cage like this one, or even a small room dedicated to inhabit the animal. Iguanas will grow to love their owners and be very loyal and make fantastic pets. On a nice sunny afternoon they love nothing more than to be basking in the sun wrapped up in a towel and resting on your lap.

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