Bringing Home Iggy | 5 Things You Need Before Bringing Home A New Pet Iguana
With a personable personality and little need for tremendous amounts of supervision, iguanas seem to make the ideal pet for a lot of people. If you are a reptile lover, from the first moment you spot one of these little green reptiles for sale at a pet store you may be willing to scoop it up and take it home. However, bringing home an iguana should only be done after you have made the necessary arrangements and preparations. Here are five things you should make sure you have before you bring home a new pet iguana.
A cage or enclosure is a must.
Your small baby iguana will fit fine in an aquarium or terrarium for a while, but as your new pet lizard grows, you will have to expand. It is never a good idea to leave your lizard on the loose in the house (even though many iguana owners do once they grow older). Iguanas need consistent temperature control and access to proper lighting to remain healthy, and this is hard to control without some type of cage or enclosure.
Make sure you have iguana-friendly foods on hand.
Iguanas love to eat, and they can eat an array of fruits and veggies. Before you bring home your iguana, pick up some green leafy veggies, bananas, and small amounts of other things they will appreciate having available.
Find a good exotic animal vet for advice.
You will find you have many questions about taking care of your new lizard and questions that will come about as your iguana grows. It is best to already have numbers to call when you need expert advice before you ever bring your iguana home. Look for a veterinarian or animal clinic in your area that treats exotic pets.
Invest in a shallow water pan.
It is important that your iguana has fresh water available at all times. To make it easier for your little lizard to get a drink, make sure you have a shallow water pan available, such as a small plastic container or even a shallow plate. A shallow pan is easier for the iguana to get a drink from because they can lower their head toward the water without struggling to stay perched atop the edge of a tall bowl.
A way to keep your iguana warm.
What is comfortable room temperature to you is probably going to feel quite cold to your iguana. Iguanas need heat to thrive and be comfortable, but also for their health. Make sure you have a good heat source available, such as a heat lamp, in their enclosure.
Share