Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

Baby

Juvenile

Aged

Scientific classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum  : Chordata

Class : Reptillia

Order   : Squamata

Family   : Iguanidae

Genus : Iguana

Species   : I. iguana

Inexperienced, or widespread, iguanas are among the many largest lizards in the Americas, averaging round 6.5 feet (2 meters) long and weighing about eleven pounds (5 kilograms).

They are also among the many most popular reptile pets in the United States, regardless of being fairly tough to take care of properly. The truth is, most captive iguanas die throughout the first 12 months, and many are either turned free by their house owners or given to reptile rescue groups.

The green iguana’s extensive vary contains the rain forests of northern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and southern Brazil. They spend most of their lives within the cover, descending only occasionally to mate, lay eggs, or change trees.

Primarily herbivores, iguanas are lively throughout the day, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruit. They generally dwell near water and are glorious swimmers. If threatened, they'll leap from a department, often from nice heights, and escape with a splash to the water below. They are additionally powerful enough to land on strong floor from as high as 40 ft (12 meters) and survive.

Iguanas' stout build offers them a clumsy look, but they are fast and agile on land. They've robust jaws with razor-sharp teeth and sharp tails, which make up half their physique size and can be utilized as whips to drive off predators. They'll also detach their tails if caught and will develop one other with out everlasting damage.

Other members of the iguana household include the Fiji Island banded iguana, the desert iguana, and the Galápagos Islands marine iguana. Their appearance, conduct, and endangered standing vary from species to species.

Read more »

Feeding Iguana

If you are considering having an iguana pet, you need to check out some tips about iguana food.

The first thing you should know is that iguanas are vegetarians and they feed on vegetable protein. The vegetables with the best nutritional value for iguanas are those that are high in calcium, contain Vitamin D3 and are low in phosphates. Vegetables known as greens are the best ones for their stable diet. Some examples of possible green food are collard greens, mustard greens, alfalfa, dandelion greens, watercress. These include -yucca root, snap peas, parsnip, papayas, okra, mango, kabocha squash, green beans, butternut squash and acorn squash. You need to be very careful when feeding your iguana pet because an improper food can eventually lead to kidney failure.

On the other hand, not all vegetables are good for an iguanas menu. For example, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage related vegetables can cause thyroid problems, so it would be best to avoid them.

“Commercial iguana food” can be also used without fear. It provides the nutrients a green iguana needs in order to be strong and healthy. A mixture of fruit, vegetables (mainly greens) and commercial lizard food is the ideal combination. Other things to use are squash, yams and particularly raspberries and blackberries as they are high in calcium.

Besides iguana food, you pet also need a constant supply of fresh, clean water to drink from! You will daily need to change the water in your iguana cage. This kind of reptiles normally drink very little but do like to soak, unfortunately they do often use the bowl afterwards as a toilet.

Be sure that the humidity is not low. You can check this aspect by watching the quantity of water your green iguana drinks. The easiest way is to use an adjustable humidifier which will solve any problems you have.

Many people believe that iguana food can include almost everything, but this is a myth. iguana food has to be correct in order to keep your pet in a proper condition.

Read more »

Family Agamidae

Red-Headed-Rock Agama

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Agamids can be rather plain, or they can look quite strange and unusual. Their bodies may have crests, or ridges of large spines, on the back and tail. They may have neck frills and folds and body decorations, such as lumps and spines on the head. Some agamids have dewlaps, or throat fans. Agamids come in many colors. Some are gray, brown, or black, but they may also have more showy colors. The Thai water dragon is bright green with golden eyes. The rainbow lizard is yellow or orange on top and blue on the bottom. Some species, or types, can change color rapidly, depending on their mood. Their lengths range from 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) to 36 inches (91.4 centimeters). In many species, males look different from females. They often have brighter colors, especially during the mating season, and bigger body parts, such as heads. All agamids have four well-developed limbs, or legs. There are usually five toes on each foot.

The head of an agamid is large and triangular, with a visible neck area. They all have movable eyelids and a circular pupil. In most agamids the ear opening is on the side of the head. Body scales are rough or spiny in most species. Some agamids have a small or large crest, like a fin of scales, along their backs. Unlike some other lizards, agamids never lose their long tails when chased by a predator, or an animal that hunts the agamid for food.

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Agamids are found in Europe and Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines. They also inhabit New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia.

Anderson's Rock Agama

HABITAT

Agamids prefer to live in sandy and rocky deserts. They also may be found in dry forest habitats and dry scrub areas, which are flat areas with small bushes. Flying lizards are found in rainforests, areas with a great deal of rain and warm temperatures throughout the year. The Asian water dragon lives part of the time in trees near streams.

DIET

An agamid does not chase insects for food. Instead, it sits and waits in hiding until an insect comes by. Then out darts its sticky tongue to capture the insect and eat it. A few agamids, such as the Dabb spiny-tailed lizard, prefer plants for food.

Draco (Flying Dragon)

BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

Agamids are diurnal or active during the day. They spend a lot of time basking, or resting, in the sun. Some species prefer to sun themselves on flat rocky areas, while others like to climb onto tree trunks or shrubs to sunbathe. If the desert species get too hot, they go into cooler underground burrows, or holes, to rest.

Agamids have different ways of protecting themselves against predators. The bearded dragon lizard, for example, has spiny body scales. Some agamids run underground or into a rock crevice or crack. The Dabb spiny-tailed lizard runs into its burrow and lets the spiny part of its long, thick tail hang out. If the predator keeps pestering it, the lizard swishes its tail from side to side, which discourages most predators. Agamid males typically are very territorial, meaning that they are protective of their living areas. A male agamid mates with females inside his territory, where several females may live. When challenging other males for a mate, an agamid may bob its head, push up on rocks to make it look bigger, open and close its mouth, and enlarge its dewlap, the expandable flap under the chin. Some males become brightly colored during courtship. The Indian bloodsucker agamid expands the dewlap during courtship, and its head and throat turn bright red. That color gives the “bloodsucker” its name.

Most agamid females lay soft-shelled eggs after mating. The smaller agamid species lay a small number of eggs. The larger species may lay up to two dozen eggs. There may be one egg clutch, or group, per season or several throughout the year. Eggs are usually buried in damp soil or in leaf litter. There are some agamid species, such as the toad-headed lizards, that give birth to live young.

Blue-throted Agama

AGAMIDS AND PEOPLE

Agamids do not normally interact with people. They eat many insects, and so they are considered useful animals. A few species are captured for the legal and illegal pet trade, and some larger species are exhibited in zoos. A few larger species are caught for food.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Most agamids are not threatened. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) labels two species as Endangered, meaning that they face a very high risk of extinction in the wild. One species is listed as Near Threatened, meaning that it might soon face serious threats. Habitat loss, or loss of their preferred living area, is a major problem for agamids. The introduction of new predators, such as cats and rats, to their living areas has also harmed them.

Read more »

Iguana's home - Humidity and Flooring Cover

Humidity

Now that you have your habitat built and set up with the right amounts of heat and light, the next part of the three part equation for your iguana is that of humidity.

Humidity is the amount of moisture that is in the air. Since iguanas come from areas that are generally very high in humidity all the time, you'll need to mimic that here in your habitat. But, how in the world do you create the right amount of humidity? The right level of humidity for your iguana will be between 65 percent and 75 percent, which are fairly humid conditions. There are several ways for you to get this high of a humidity level within your habitat.

First, there are the simple methods to doing this. You can just spray the habitat down with water throughout the day. Don't spray less than an hour before the lights go out for the night though. You can also place large containers of water in the habitat, which will help to make for the right amount of humidity within the habitat, too. In the later chapters, you'll learn about how you need to bath and mist your iguana, but for now, realize that is a good way to gain the benefits of added moisture, too. If you built your iguana's habitat correctly, the heat and humidity levels will remain high enough with these methods as you'll have a pretty decent way of keeping it in (Plexiglas is a great option for this.) But, it may not be enough, there is still a few things youíll need to take into consideration beyond just the construction and the environmental issues.

What will you put into your habitat? You should pay some attention to the details of this area of your habitat. We well provided for iguana that has all he needs in a clean and organized habitat is a long living, healthy and happy pet. Now, here are several things that youíll build or add to your habitat.

Flooring Covering

Now, when it comes to your habitat's flooring, take this consideration closely. You want to have something that is easy to replace or at least to clean. But, you don't want to have anything that your iguana can pick up with his tongue or even worse get wrapped around his toes.

You'll find many materials available in the pet stores but donít waste your time on them. Instead consider other easier to afford materials. Here are some options you have.

Floors of:

• Newspaper, ensure that it does not have any type of toxic ink on it.

• Paper towels work just fine, too. 
• Plain papers without any type of toxins in them. 
• Indoor/outdoor carpeting.

The carpeting is a great choice but if you purchase it, make sure it has nothing that can get caught on your iguanaís toes. Youíll want to wrap it around the edges and tape them underneath to keep them from being torn up or getting caught on his tongue.

Read more »

Iguana's home - Heating

Now, its time to think about the heating within your iguana's habitat. Even if you purchase a pre made habitat, youíll still need to find ways to keep him warm enough and to keep him getting the necessary light he needs.

Heating

The heating in your iguana's habitat is quite important to the well being of your iguana. There are many considerations to think about here, though. The good news is that this chapter will tell you all you need to know about the heat sources and needs of your iguana.

Why They Need Heat

The first consideration that you have is just why the iguana needs heat and what that level is. We've already mentioned that providing heat to your iguana is required to maintain its health.

Within your habitat, youíll need to provide a location that can provide basking heat to your iguana. Generally, this area should be able to get to the middle 90's in temperature. (All temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit.) The rest of the air within the habitat should be maintained no less than 75 degrees, but better if it is closer to 80. The final need is to offer a range of temperatures within the habitat to allow him to move around as he feels comfortable.

Now, to accomplish this, there are several things you should and shouldnít do. First, purchase several attachment thermometers. Place these in various area of the habitat so that they can be easily read by you from outside the enclosure.

Temperature

Another very important element to your iguana care is his temperature. Actual, the habitat’s temperature is important to monitor. Again, in later chapters we’ll provide you with some additional resources to help you to get the temperature right, but there are some things that must be mentioned early on.

First off, realize just what your iguana is. He is cold blooded. That means

that his body does not produce heat like yours does and that means you

have to provide it for him through his enclosure. One spot within your iguana’s habitat should be maintained at 90 degrees or higher F. This will be called his basking spot, where he can go to really soak up the heat. The surrounding air within the habitat can not drop below 80 degrees F.

Why does the temperature of the habitat matter so much? What if it falls off by a few degrees? So what? The problem with this is that the iguana depends on the right temperature to do much of its life functions. For example, without the right level of heat, the iguana can’t digest his food the right way and absorb the nutrients from it. Without the right light, your pet will not be able to grow correctly. He or she will likely be suffering from malnutrition. He is likely not to move around much and will remain inactive. That’s because he is uncomfortable and unhappy. He’s suffering.

But, you don’t want the habitat to maintain the same amount of heat all of the time. Providing areas that fluctuate to some level within the habitat is necessary as it will allow him to decide how to regulate his temperature. Finally, before we move on, you also should realize that the heat that you give your iguana must not be attached to the light source. Just like you need a day and night; so does he. Heat and light are two different things that your iguana must have.

Read more »

Iguana's home - Lighting

The Lighting

Another important area of the care of your iguana is that of the lighting. The lighting plays an important role in the care of your pet. You’ll need to carefully monitor the amount of light he gets. But, let’s spell out just what is needed here.

UVA and UVB:

These are the two most important considerations for the lighting of your iguana. He needs both of them.

UVA: This light will be responsible for stimulating the natural behaviors of the pet. This happens because it is a natural part of what makes up natural sunlight.

UVB: This type of lighting is also important. Without UVB, your pet will not be able to make vitamin D3. He also won’t be able to metabolize calcium. This will leave him weak and prone to injury.

Lighting is important for a number of reasons, but first of all because of their health. Without the right type of UV lighting, your iguana is likely to suffer from a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease or MBD. During this condition, your iguana will suffer in a number of ways such as with jaw and bone deformities, weakened bones as well as an early death. Unfortunately, it is common among iguanas that are kept in captivity.

So, how do you get this?

Of course, the best choice would be to be in the right climate and allow the sun to provide it. But, that’s not always possible. But, just because you can’t get the temperature right, it is still excellent to allow your iguana to get in the natural beams of sunlight anyway. So, the best thing for you to do is to provide your iguana with as much natural sunlight as possible.

Yet, this isn’t that easy. You see, window panes and even plastic will filter out the UV light that is coming in from the sun. Therefore, although you are allowing him to bask in the sun, he’s not getting the UV light he needs in this manner.

Here’s the plan, then:

Give your iguana as much natural sunlight as possible, without any type of filter between him and the sun. This should be a daily event for him. Then, give him additional, artificial light in addition to the natural light. One without the other isn’t nearly as good for your pet unless he gets a lot of sunlight without filters.

You will find UV light bulbs available to you at most pet stores, especially those that sell reptile products. In the next chapters, we’ll talk more about the lighting options that you have and how to carefully set up your habitat with it.

Read more »

Iguana's home - Size

Even before you consider purchasing an iguana, you must consider its needs for a proper home. Since the iguana's health is dependant on the actual environment that he lives in, it is essential that this part of the process happen first, before anything else.

Iguanas use their homes for more than just shelter. It is imperative that his home provides the necessary protection but also the right heat for his well being. Unlike the dog or other mammals, iguanas must have a well maintained climate in order to stay healthy.

This is due to the iguanas need for the wavelengths of the light within its home. They will use these wavelengths to aid in their metabolism as well as in their body chemistry.

What Was Home Like?

If you consider where the iguana is from, you can see what his needs will be in the climate that you create for him. The extreme temperatures of that environment were also fairly humid. This combination is what his body is conditioned for and therefore must be replaced in the shelter youíll provide for him if he is to survive and be as healthy as he can be.

Without an environment that is conditioned for the right temperature and humidity, your iguana will become ill, it will suffer and it may even die because of this one simple factor.

What does he need, then? There are several key pieces of information to consider.

Size

Do you need lots of room? The iguana is so small, how can they even imagine needing so much room? No matter what you thought about his size or the room he needed, this is an important consideration.

First, they aren't small. In many cases, an iguana will grow up to six feet in length. That's a lot of iguana for you to provide shelter for. There is one misconception out there about this, though. Many think that if they limit the room that they provide to their iguana that they will be safely protecting it from getting extremely large. This is not true. He will continue to grow.

Iguanas start growing at a faster rate then they will down the road. But, he will grow his entire life.Within your first year of owning him, your iguana will likely grow out of the 55 gallon aquarium that you bought it. For this consideration alone you should carefully decide on whether this is the right pet for you. Space is necessary for the animal.

The animal will need enough room to roam, not to just sit still. While they grow you can expand their habitat to make it larger to fit the iguana but you must take into consideration this often, as they will continue to grow throughout their lifetime, even as they are older.

The rule of thumb is that your iguana’s habitat should be at least twice the length of the animal and it should be taller. The taller it is the better. The minimum size for a habitat is that of six feet. It is minimum because this animal is likely to continue to grow. Without enough room, he will suffer needlessly.

Without the right size cage, your pet will suffer. He may injury himself just moving around. He will be stressed, which can cause him to be less friendly to you. Those that limit the iguana’s ability to move will cause his muscles to become weakened. If you don’t have this type of room to provide to your pet, don’t make his suffer at your expense. You should consider a pet that is smaller.

One way to know what the proper size of the habitat for your pet should be is to notice any injuries that he may have. Those that have been rubbing their noses on the glass or the doors will have burn marks or injuries there. You may see broken claws too which means he was likely scratching and looking for a way out.

In addition, these wounds are an indication that he or she is not getting enough exercise in climbing. This is especially true of an animal that has weakened muscles. Monitor the size of your iguana to the size of his cage. Monitor the growth of your baby iguana. When you start to notice the he is about 1/3 of the length of his habitat, you’ll want to consider replacing it with  something larger. But, it may be more cost effective if you instead provide a large enough habitat for your iguana from the beginning.

Nevertheless, during the first months of his life, a large sized aquarium is big enough for his needs. But, he will outgrow this within that first year. In addition, realize that your iguana will be fully grown within two and a half to three years time! Make sure you are planning ahead for when that next need arises.

Read more »

Stifler - Green iguana

Sesudah lama vakum memelihara binatang gara - gara sma tinggal di asrama, entah kesambet setan mana, saya mulai memelihara hewan lagi. Sebenarnya setannya tuh teman saya yang namanya tidak dapat disebutkan di forum ini (jadi bagi yang merasa saya minta maaf, hahaha). Jadi dia cerita nih kalo dia punya peliharaan burung hantu. Seru banget ceritanya, yang tentang pertama belinya, tentang gimana makannya, tentang gimana tuh burung hantu tambah besar dan mulai bisa lompat - lompat sana - sini, sampai cerita kalo si burung hantu tuh tewas (R.I.P). Kasian banget tewasnya gara -gara mamanya temen saya mandiin tuh burung hantu. Kata mamanya sih tuh burung bau banget jadinya dimandiin, pakek shampoo pula, hahaha. Alhasil tuh burung hantu mati kedinginan, ckckck. Setelah tuh burung hantu mati, dia gak mau lagi pelihara burung hantu, katanya bawa sial. Awal baru beli tuh burung hantu, lebih tepatnya habis pulang dari pasar hewan, dia langsung nabrakin mobil ke pagar tetangganya. Entah karena emang sial, atau teman saya yang gak bisa bawa mobil. Akhirnya dia dimarahin bokapnya dan disuruh benerin tuh pagar tetangganya yang hancur total, jadi kuli bangunan dia, hahaha.

Cerita punya cerita, kami bertiga, ama temen saya satu lagi, pun pergi ke pasar hewan, awalnya sih niatnya pengen liat - liat doang. Eh sampai disana kami malah beli banyak (emang dah kalo udah sampek pasar hewan pasti jadi pengen beli, makanya kalo pergi kesana, mending gak usah bawa duit, soalnya rasa pengen beli tuh gak bisa dibendung, hahaha). Kami beli ikan lele, mas, dan nila. rencananya sih tuh ikan mw kami taruh di kolam di kosan saya( yang akhirnya mati semua, tinggal seekor lele doang, ckckck). Pada saat di pasar hewan aku melihat iguana. Dan rasa pengen beli tuh iguana pun g bisa dibendung. Sampek saya bela - belain minjam duit sama temen saya, hahaha. Iguana itu pun aku kasih nama Stifler, hehe. Setelah sampai di rumah, Stifler aku taruh di sebuah etalase kaca yang diisi beberapa batang pohon buat dia nangkring. Karena Stifler masih tergolong baby (kalo gak salah umurnya belum sampai 1 bulan), dia suka stress dan makannya sedikit. Dia masih belum mau dipegang, kalo dipegang berontak mulu, trus suka lari - lari pula kalau di lepas di dalam kamar. Stifler aku kasih makan sawi atau kangkung (bergantian). 

Selang sebulan stifler mulai sakit. Dia kelihatan lemas dan gak mau makan. Lalu saya bawa tuh stifler ke dokter hewan. Setelah diperiksa, stifler dikasih obat. Dan dokternya pun bilang kalo stifler terlalu baby, jadi emang riskan dalam memeliharanya. Selang 2 hari Stifler pun tewas (R.I.P). Hal ini merupakan pengalaman pertama saya dalam memelihara hewan setelah vakum sekian tahun. Stifler mati disebabkan oleh beberapa hal, saya yang belum cukup punya pengalaman dan pengetahuan dalam memelihara binatang, umurnya yang terlalu baby, dan satu hal yang pasti, jangan jadikan akuarium atau etalase menjadi kandangnya, karena iguana suka menubruk kaca tersebut untuk keluar. Alangkah lebih baiknya jadikan tempat yang tidak transparan untuk kandangnya. Atau lepas saja dia di sekitar anda, akan tetapi harus diawasi agar tidak kabur. Setelah saya memelihara stifler, saya mendapatkan banyak ilmu dalam memelihara iguana. Saya yakin next time saya akan memelihara iguana lagi dan iguana tersebut tidak akan mati sampai umur 10 tahun lebih, amin, hahaha.

Maaf pada kesempatan ini tidak bisa menampilkan fotonya karena sudah hilang arsipnya. Kalau anda penasaran dengan gambarnya, klik ini dan lihat yang ukuran baby.

Read more »

Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii)

Scientific Classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Sauropsida

Order : Squamata

Suborder : Lacertilia

Infraorder : Iguania

Family : Agamidae

Subfamily :Agaminae

Genus : Chlamydosaurus

Species : Chlamydosaurus kingii

Undoubtedly, one of the quirkiest sights in nature is the gangly retreat of an Australian frilled lizard. When this unique creature feels threatened, it rises on its hind legs, opens its yellow-colored mouth, unfurls the colorful, pleated skin flap that encircles its head, and hisses. If an attacker is unintimidated by these antics, the lizard simply turns tail, mouth and frill open, and bolts, legs splaying left and right. It continues its deliberate run without stopping or looking back until it reaches the safety of a tree.

Frilled lizards, or "frillnecks," are members of the dragon family that live in the tropical and warm temperate forests and savanna woodlands of northern Australia. They spend most of their lives in the trees, but descend occasionally to feed on ants and small lizards. Other menu items include spiders, cicadas, termites, and small mammals.

They vary in color and size from region to region. On average, the larger adults reach about 3 feet (0.9 meters) from head to tail and weigh up to 1.1 pounds (0.5 kilograms).

Their main predators are birds of prey, larger lizards, snakes, dingoes and feral cats. They are currently not threatened or protected, but habitat reduction and predation in some areas, particularly by feral cats, is affecting their populations.

Females lay 8 to 23 tiny eggs in an underground nest, and hatchlings emerge fully independent and capable of hunting and utilizing their frill. Their lifespan in the wild is unknown, but specimens in captivity have lived 20 years.

Read more »

Blue Diamond Iguana

There is one (or maybe more) area within the iguana range that produce predominantly blue iguanas. These iguanas, when happy, exhibit a beautiful turquoise blue color. When they are cold or stressed, they are green. The irises of their eyes tend to be a deep reddish-brown, and they generally have black skin surrounding the scales on their bodies, heads, tails and dewlaps. Some may have lots of black in their eyelids.

These iguanas, which may come from Peru, should not be confused with the many baby iguanas from all over the range who show lots of blue when they are hatchlings. For a year so so, there was a flood of "blue iguanas" in the pet trade, with dealers snapping them and selling them for 3-4 x the price of the "regular" green iguanas. The people who paid more for these "special" iguanas found to their dismay that by the time their "blue" iguana reached a year of age, they were just as green as any other iguana. The true "blue" iguanas look exactly like the green iguanas when the are babies, so picking a blue hatchling is no guarantee that it will retain any blue as it matures.

Keep in mind that it takes blue and yellow to make the color green. In many reptile species, the yellow pigment is slow to develop, making the young of the species look blue. If you have ever seen photos of the green tree boas, the new borns are bright, vivid blue...while the adults are green. This same delay in yellow pigment development is what is happening to the "blue" hatchlings that turn green.

Read more »