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#190862
Suzook242
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Spiny Tail Iguana 
Does anyone know the proper diet for a spiny tail? I’m thinking of rescueing one from a pet store (it was abandoned there and has mites ...), but I keep finding conflicting information about the proper diet. The pet store says that they should eat mostly insects, but I have found other articles that say that they should be fed a diet of vegetables (similar to a green iguana) supplemented with insects. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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11/29/04 7:23pm
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#190890
Spiny-ig
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Message To: Suzook242 In reference to Message Id: 190862
Spiny Tail Iguana
Good to hear you want to rescue a spiny... I have a two year old that we’ve had for about 10 months now. We had the same issues with finding proper care info, but feel very comfortable with her diet and she is a great eater. She is fed a wide variety of mixed greens (same as green diet) as well as 2 types of squash daily. She also gets a few berries or a little papaya, or mango 3-4 days a week. We also feed meal worms as a treat 1-2 days a week (just a few, not a whole bowl). What I have generally found through various sites is that juveniles and young spiny-tails require more animal protein, and adults require almost none. Ours is currently somewhere in between. She absolutely LOVES mealworms, but we only allow her a few...if she had her way she would probably eat 100 in one sitting.Housing for spiny-tail igs is also different than greens, and they tend to be less tamable and more aggressive (or downright nasty like ours, though she can be held by me). On the upside, ours has quite a personality on her and is quite entertaining. They also don’t get as large as greens, so even if yours has a bad temperament , it shouldn’t be too much to handle if you don’t let it scare you off (regular handling helps a bit too). If you have questions about anything other than diet, I’d be happy to share what I know, though I don’t claim to be an expert and there ARE many different opinions about proper care for spiny-tails. Jiff also has 2, and will probably share his experience and knowledge as well. Good Luck!
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11/29/04 7:58pm
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#190919
Spiny-ig
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Message To: Spiny-ig In reference to Message Id: 190890
Spiny Tail Iguana
I just looked at your profile and saw that you’re new here so there is no info on you. If you don’t mind, I am curious what experience you have with other herps, so that we don’t all start telling you things you already know, or leave out anything you might not know. It would also be helpful to know the approx size of the spiny you are thinking of adopting (or estimated age, though it can be WAY off as we found out).
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11/29/04 8:26pm
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#191009
Jif
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Message To: Spiny-ig In reference to Message Id: 190890
Spiny Tail Iguana
Actually, I’m keeping 4 different species of Spinytails right now...similis, quinquecarinata, conspicuosa, and palearis. All of them are fed the same as in Green Iguana diet daily and treats of bugs, worms, or small mice on an infrequent basis. The younger ones get a few crix about twice a month. I have 5 more Spinys coming this week, rescues from the Long Island Reptile Museum. Four of them are similis and one is a hemilopha. All have been without proper diet and UVB for a couple of years. Poor things. Also coming are 2 stunted male Rhino iguanas. I’ll probably have photos some time next week.
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11/29/04 9:55pm
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#191294
Suzook242
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Message To: Spiny-ig In reference to Message Id: 190919
Spiny Tail Iguana
I’ve kept repltiles for over 10 years now. Started out with anoles and various toads and frogs, then got into iguanas. I have since rescued about 5 igs (in various stages of malnutrition, illness, etc) and 2 savannah monitors. I currently have two green igs (both less than a year old). I have tamed savannahs that breeders have said would be untamable, so I have experience with the power of a scared or angry lizard.As for the spiny, she (?) is approximately 1.5 feet long. The pet store has had her for a few months, but does not know how old she is. She has mites, but the vet has already wormed her, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Luckily the mite infestation is still relatively mild, so that should clear up relatively easily.
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11/30/04 12:03pm
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#191797
Coyote12899
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Message To: Suzook242 In reference to Message Id: 191294
 Spiny Tail Iguana
I have 4 spinys and they really are not that hard to tame. It just takes time. Try rocking them at night after the lights are out for a bit also put a hip leash on them and carry them around the block. Movement seems to help ie the wind blowing in the trees.
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12/01/04 10:20am
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#191859
Suzook242
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Message To: Coyote12899 In reference to Message Id: 191797
Spiny Tail Iguana
This spiny that I’m looking at doesn’t seem to be too wild. She runs when you try to catch her, and then gapes her mouth, but she settles down after you’ve held her for a little while.Do you know how old they can live to be? How big are the cages that you house them in? I have a cage that is 6’ x 4’ x 8’ (l x w x h). Is that adequate?
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12/01/04 1:40pm
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