As I have said numerous times on this web site, please read up on the animal you are interested in before you buy. This is important for any animal but especially exotic animals as they have more specialised needs.

These two pictures should help to get the message across of how important a proper diet and setup are to the well being of the animal.

They are both male Green Iguanas, one was being kept in the proper environment and one wasn’t. (Can you guess which is which?)

If you read some of the older books on Green Iguana husbandry you will see that they recommend dog or cat food as part of the Iguana’s diet.

If you are looking for books on husbandry for any exotic animal, check when the book was published!

After numerous studies in the wild it has been found that Green Iguanas are strictly vegetarian and eat no meat at all in their natural environment, not even insects.

(The Iguana in the top picture was being fed on everything from chicken to jam sandwiches).

Iguanas also require UVB light to enable them to produce vitamin D3, this in turn is used in the production of calcium which is used in the growth and development of the skeleton.

(The Iguana in the top picture had no UVB light).

When I tell you that the Iguana in the top picture is 8yrs old and the one in the bottom picture is 7yrs old (A year younger!), you will see how important it is to get both the diet and the setup correct.

Jim Lind