What Do Iguanas Eat

Do you know iguanas? Have you ever seen one? If not, it is time for you to get to know a little about these cute animals, which despite their appearance are very fragile, friendly and quite nervous that makes them run away when they see a human.

Iguanas are herbivorous animals, which mean that they feed mainly on tree leaves, which provide them with the necessary sustenance to survive as well as the essential nutrients to keep their bones healthy.

Iguanas usually feed during the day since they are active thanks to the sunlight that provides them with enough heat to move, digest and sharpen their senses since they are cold-blooded and must be heated to a temperature of 30º more or less to activate.

What do you need:

• They can be found in countries of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
• There are species in the Antilles and the Galapagos Islands that are slightly larger.
• They are usually seen closer to the riverbanks, although they have also reached cities due to their indiscriminate hunting.
• They are climbing animals and move very fast.
• Iguanas can measure up to two meters long, in some species, and weigh up to 18 kilos.
•  The males have a higher crest that differentiates them quite a bit from the females in addition to the size that is usually larger.
• Both the female and the male have spines from the middle of the back to the tail as well as a pronounced underbelly.
• They can see great distances without any problem.
• They use their tail and their green color to defend themselves and hide from predators.
• They have a heightened sense of hearing and their organ behind their eyes.
• They are calm and skittish actually despite their appearance.

Instructions

Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles that live in tropical areas and are usually a species welcomed as a pet because they are docile, friendly as well as easy to feed, although their diet includes leaves, fruits and some small insects.

It is considered an exotic animal and its eggs are usually sought by people to eat them in the places where they survive and being persecuted for their docile nature, which makes them striking and easy to catch or kill by the same man.

In many parts of the American continent, iguana meat is usually a fairly exotic delicacy that is used by diners to prepare food for their diet, generating the indiscriminate hunting of these animals as well as their eggs.

About iguanas

1. As we said at the beginning, iguanas feed on leaves so their diet is strictly herbivorous, but despite this they also usually feed on insects, which they need to include reaching the level of nutrients necessary to survive.
2. To keep an iguana as a pet, you must keep in mind that they are animals that need special care since they can get sick and die if they are not fed their original food and are not provided with sunlight.
3. Iguanas come from South America, Central America from humid and warm areas, where what is most abundant are trees where they feed in addition to water, sun and burrows that they often find in the treetops where they usually stay.
4. They are docile, but if they are disturbed they can attack ruthlessly and quickly, striking with their tail and their spines on it, being very painful for those who receive the blow if they feel threatened.
5. They are oviparous so they hatch from eggs and in addition to that they can run at a great speed which they usually do to flee from their enemy or a predator in general they are usually very calm if they are not disturbed and an ideal pet. Do you want one?
6. They are usually a great species as a pet thanks to their character, which is usually very submissive, so it is easy to catch both when they are small and as adults, despite having a very long tail to defend them in the attempt.
7. The habitat of the iguanas is generally surrounded by trees, with mangroves and tropical forests being the chosen places to live. If kept in captivity they can have a fairly long life expectancy ranging from 10 to 14 years.

Tips

• You can feed the iguana through fruits, vegetables and leaves that are green and fresh, never dry.
• You must chop him into small pieces so that he can chew them because he has small teeth.
• Leave its space near a window where it receives sunlight from very early in the morning for its subsistence.
• Maintain foods that provide calcium for the bones since they usually have very weak bones.
• Among the foods that you can give him are the leaves of parsley, lettuce, cilantro, cauliflower, beets, and celery among many others that he can use for his diet.
• Keep in mind that you can also feed rabbit feed moistened with water.
• Keep it in a cool place, with sunlight and dry as well as hygienic and with trees where they can move.
• In addition to all this, the iguana must have a kind of pool where it can bathe, so the place where you are going to have it must have one especially for it.