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 »

Blue-Tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)

Where do they live?: Eastern and northern Australia, and Irian Jaya in Indonesia

Habitat: Forests, grasslands, and gardens

Size: Head–tail length up to 24 in. (60 cm), males are longer and slimmer than females

Coloration: Gray, tan, or silver with dark bands; bright blue tongue

Diet: Berries, flowers, fruit, insects, and dead animals

Breeding: Up to 25 young born after a gestation period (pregnancy) of 110 days

Life Span: Up to 20 years

Status: Common

The blue-tongued skink is a large lizard that lives in a range of habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and various Indonesian islands. Some live in the desert or dry scrub, but many prefer the tropical forests. The legs and claws of the blue-tongued skink are not strong enough for it to dig its own burrows, so it shelters in the burrows of other animals, as well as in hollow logs, the spaces between rocks, and in leaf litter. When it moves through thick undergrowth, the blue-tongued skink folds its back legs out of the way and wriggles along like a snake. Blue-tongued skinks are active during the day, but they may retreat into their burrows during the hottest periods. During the dry season, when food and water are hard to find, large lizards save energy and moisture by staying in their burrows. They let their own body metabolism (normal body processes) slow down. The slow-moving blue-tongued skink cannot rely on speed to escape from predators. Instead, it puffs up its body, hisses loudly, and sticks out its bright blue tongue to scare them away.

Breeding Behavior

For most of the year, blue-tongued skinks live on their own. They come together to mate. Males usually start to look for a mate when it warms up in spring. The males fight for the right to mate, and many become seriously injured at this time. When a male finds a female who is ready to mate, he grips her neck or shoulder in his powerful jaws, and scratches her back with one of his back legs. After mating, males may sometimes guard females for up to twenty-five days.

Teeth and Feeding

Blue-tongued skinks are omnivores. This means that they feed on a wide range of animals and plants. They prey on animals that move more slowly than they do. Favorite foods include insects, fruit, flowers, leaves, fungi, snails, eggs, small vertebrates, and the remains of dead animals (carrion). The teeth at the front of the mouth are smaller than those farther back and are used to pick up insects and bite off pieces of plants. Snails and insects are crushed in the hard jaws before being swallowed. The strong jaws of the blue-tongued skink are also useful in defense, biting predators such as brown falcons, kookaburras, dingoes, monitor lizards, and snakes. Blue-tongued skinks were once thought to be poisonous. In the past, many were killed by people. But the fact is this lizard is not poisonous but can give a sharp bite to defend itself.

Mother and Babies

Four different species of bluetongued skinks give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. The number of young produced tends to increase with the size and age of the female. While young skinks develop inside their mother’s body, they are nourished by a body part similar to the placenta through which a human baby receives food from its mother.

Live Young

There are many advantages to producing live young instead of laying eggs. The female is less likely to be attacked and eaten by predators than the eggs would be. This gives the young a greater chance of survival. Blue-tongued skinks do not rely on speed to escape from predators or to catch food, so the pregnant females are not affected too much by the weight of the developing young inside them. The pregnant females bask in the sun because the warmth speeds up the development of their young. They tend to rest with their back legs and tail raised off the ground because of the size and number of young inside them. There are also disadvantages to giving birth to live young. If a pregnant blue-tongued skink is killed, all the young die with her. Basking increases the danger of attack by predators, as the bluetongued skink is out in the open, away from the safety of her burrow. Also it is not possible for a female to give birth to several lots of young lizards each year in the same way that many egg-laying lizards lay several clutches a year. In many parts of their range, female blue-tongued skinks may not breed every year, especially if there is a shortage of food.

Parental Care

After the baby skinks are born, they have to fend for themselves. The parents play no part in looking after their young. Young skinks take three years to develop into adults.

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 »