Care Sheet for IguanasAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.67 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/16/2006 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Iguanas |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Ookie2 |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Spiny tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | the several species from the Ctenosaura from Mexico and Central America and some islands near panama |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Adult Males have well developed dorsal Crest and small dewlaps. Females lack the obvious crests. There is a variation within age so it is hard to determin. they become sexually mature at 4 to 5 years of age. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Substrates are usually not needed news paper can be good. they require a large water bowl. Water no deeper than their knees to prevent drowning in young ones. |
Lighting and UVB: | UVB is absolutely required for proper growth and having a healthy iguana. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | A basking lamp should be used with a temperature around 90 degrees. and around 80 degrees for everywhere else. their natural humidity idea is dry and arid to a medium humidity. |
Heating and Equipment: | A basking lamp should be used with a temperature around 90 degrees. and around 80 degrees for everywhere else. i use a combo light to save money because they require a large tank under tank heaters aren’t as good. |
Caging Provided: | 80 gallons should be a minimum but for larger adults i say like a 200 gallon reptarium that is long ways. |
Diet: | Omnivorous |
Description of Diet: | A variate of fruits and greens. with some meat. their meat part of the diet is quite diverse. in the wild they will eat eggs of their own young, bats, frogs, insects, rodents, and small birds. the young ones are insectivores then switching over to herbivores as adults. The best diet i think is 70% greens, vegtables, plants 10% fruits 20% meat. my iguanas diet usually is greens every 2 days, vegetables after the second day fruit once in a while and mice (for older ones) crickets or meal worms once a week live does best. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Supplement as needed i use a calcium supplement. |
Maintenance: | The water bowl should be cleaned and refilled daily. most of the maintenance taming them. you should clean the tank weekly or every 2 weeks. at least i do because the tank will eventually smell and if your reptile has salmonella it is beat to clean to prevent it from spreading. Taming is a hard process with this animal unless bought young. They have longer teeth and sharper teeth than the green iguana. they are usually more aggressive than all other iguanas but, when tamed they can be the most loving and loyal. |
Some Words on this Species: | Spiny-tailed iguanas are large, bulky lizards reaching up to 18 inches long with an 18 inch tail. Juveniles tend to be olive-green becoming tan and then finally grayish as they grow. More terrestrial than arboreal, they can run in a bipedal fashion. They can be quite aggressive. These iguanas naturally live in colonies with a strict order with a dominant male. I would never keep more than one together all that spells is disaster. These lizards are found around ruins, stonewalls, rocky open slopes and branches of large trees along the open borders of the dry forests. Like I said before they like a dry arid to a moderate humidity. |
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