Food for green iguanas

[Stevemercer]

I've had 3 iguanas for about 12 months, but am finding them to be fussy eaters. I feed them various leafy vegetables I buy from the market. Fortunately they love a common leafy green plant that creeps along the ground and grows near water (I don't know the name, but it is in flower now with a white/light purple delicate flower). They'll eat some fruit, particularly sliced jackfruit and mango.

However, they're not putting on much weight and I'm wondering if there is some commercial rabbit food I could use? They will eat from my hand readily enough, but seem reluctant to come to the ground where I place most of the food. I haven't got the patience to stand there and hand feed them all the time.

Grateful for any advice.

[arcturus]

Not many people know that iguana eats flowers. They love hibiscus flowers! The water plant that you mentioned sounds good too, it sounds like water spinach from your description.

I wouldn't suggest using commercial processed food and would stick to natural diet instead. You can try giving them green beans, sugar snap peas, papaya, cassava (must be boiled), squash, alfalfa, banana, cucumber, and cabbage. Red veggies (tomato, capsicum) are good as color enhancer. They like food variation and can eat quite extensive diet options (almost all fruits and most veggies), so have fun with the fruits and veggies combination.

One last thing that they love: prickly pear cactus, but you have to peel and chop the flesh.

Any questions, just message me. Good luck

[cyberfarang]

Iguanas are classified as exotic animals, they require specialist foods and environments and only those with expert knowledge or lots of experience should consider owning them.

Every year thousands of exotic pets die because their owners do not have enough experience and in your case, not the patience to care for them properly.

Iguanas can only digest their food within certain temperatures, too hot or too cold and they will stop eating. Their food also has to be placed in a certain way within the enviroment. It would be wise to do some quick research or get expert advice on the habits of Iguanas and provide accordingly before it`s too late.

Loads of information online, suggest you start looking, get your act together and provide accordingly. If you don`t have the patience, then give them to someone who will care for them properly.

[JHolmesJr]

How about some iguavas?

[Sophon]

Green Iguanas are arboreal animals, and most arboreal animals don't like to be on the ground (it's too dangerous). So start by making them a feeding platform off the round and see if that helps.

Sophon

[Stevemercer]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try and increase the variety of food and see what they eat and don't eat. I've already got an elevated feeding platform and have tried leaving food there, but they seldom visit. Maybe I'm spoiling them with the hand feeding (eg if they get enough they can't be bothered or aren't hungry enough to look for their own food). I've got some potted hibiscus so I'll try the flowers.

I've got the lizards in a 3 metre X 3 metre X 3 metre high enclosure also with some African leopard tortoises. Of course the tortoises hang around on the ground while the iguanas are in the trees or the higher sides/shelves of the cage. They eat the same food and the species don't seem to be antagonistic to each other. Indeed, they just ignore each other if the iguanas venture to the ground.

The tortoises are big eaters and are not fussy. The female has grown from about 500 gm to 5 kg in one year. The male hasn't grown so much, but expends a lot of energy mating with the female.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Stevemercer

[Somtamnication]

Sorry for hijacking the iguana thread.

I wanted to get a tortoise for our garden. But I do not like buying them at market and in Phuket, I have not seen them anyway.

Where can I get one?

I grew up in northern Bolivia ( southern Amazon) and always rescued animals from the markets, cured them if injured and released them months afterwards. Others could not be released. But I do miss being around them.

A tortoise would be the only animal I would want in Thailand, as it would be "free" in the garden and not in a cage.

[Stevemercer]

I have 4 tortoises. Two are Leopard tortoises (originally from Africa) and two are SE Asian tortoises (native to Thailand). I bought them for 500 Baht each at the major pet market in Bangkok. They were about 20 cm when I bought them. You can buy them from Thailand breeders via the Internet. The current gong price seems to be about 1000 Baht. The breeders guarantee delivery via the post, but I'm not sure of the success rate. There are bound to be sellers in southern Thailand. If you have a Thai friend they can probably do an Internet search.

Leopard tortoises are easy care pets and grown very quickly. They can get up to 12 inches and 5 kg in 12 months. My female is about 18 inches and 10 kg after 2 years. The male is about 12 inches. They eat just about anything including grass. The native tortoises are slower growing and like to dig and live in deep burrows. Probably not good for a garden even if it is fenced off. Mine are about 8 inches and 2 kg after nearly 2 years.

The Leopard tortoises would do well in a garden, but you might want to keep them in an enclosure for 12 months until they are big enough to survive a random dog attack. They can move surprisingly quickly and are great walkers. My male Leopard can easily cover 100 m in 15 minutes and can walk endless circuits when I let him roam the garden. You can't afford to leave a gate open or he'll be out in a flash.

[cornishcarlos]

I have 4 tortoises. Two are Leopard tortoises (originally from Africa) and two are SE Asian tortoises (native to Thailand). I bought them for 500 Baht each at the major pet market in Bangkok. They were about 20 cm when I bought them. You can buy them from Thailand breeders via the Internet. The current gong price seems to be about 1000 Baht. The breeders guarantee delivery via the post, but I'm not sure of the success rate. There are bound to be sellers in southern Thailand. If you have a Thai friend they can probably do an Internet search.

Leopard tortoises are easy care pets and grown very quickly. They can get up to 12 inches and 5 kg in 12 months. My female is about 18 inches and 10 kg after 2 years. The male is about 12 inches. They eat just about anything including grass. The native tortoises are slower growing and like to dig and live in deep burrows. Probably not good for a garden even if it is fenced off. Mine are about 8 inches and 2 kg after nearly 2 years.

The Leopard tortoises would do well in a garden, but you might want to keep them in an enclosure for 12 months until they are big enough to survive a random dog attack. They can move surprisingly quickly and are great walkers. My male Leopard can easily cover 100 m in 15 minutes and can walk endless circuits when I let him roam the garden. You can't afford to leave a gate open or he'll be out in a flash.

Are they laying eggs yet ?

[Stevemercer]

No eggs yet. The male regularly mates with the female. It makes a loud grunting noise almost like a person. I think the female needs to be at least two years old. I have them in a largish enclosure with plenty of sandy 'hills' so I am hoping for some hatchlings to appear one day.

[cornishcarlos]

I had a search, looks like they become sexually mature between 10 & 12 years old !! Long wait but I'll buy some little ones from you

[Stevemercer]

I attach some photos of one of my green iguanas (it probably weighs nearly 1 kg) and 4 tortoises (2 leopard tortoises and 2 SE Asian tortoises). As I said above, the leopards make good pets because they grow quickly, eat anything and seem pretty tough. The native Thai tortoises are a bit fussier, slower growing and love digging tunnels.

[Stevemercer]

Below is photo of green iguana standing guard while two leopard tortoises have sex. The iguanas are all feeding well now, on the ground, with the tortoises.

[worgeordie]

Calcium supplement is also very important for Iguanas and Tortoises,

as well as greens feed them some fruit too,dust it with Calcium powder,

very young Iguanas start life eating more insects,than foliage,something

to remember if you get any hatchlings.

regards Worgeordie

[Stevemercer]

Thanks for the advice. I throw in a cuttlefish shell every now and then which the iguanas like to lick. The tortoises take a bite every day.

The iguanas go absolutely crazy for jackfruit and don't mind mango. The unfortunate side effect is that they sometimes can't tell your thumb from a piece of jackfruit. However, they don't bite hard and let go when they realise their mistake. The tortoises favourite food is cucumber and snake beans, but the iguanas don't seem to like these.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Stevemercer

[Fatdog]

Hi,

 

I found this thread after a search.

 

I have found a Green Iguana in the garden yesterday, it is about 4 feet long.

 

I live in the Western part of Kalasin, has anybody in the area lost a Green Iguana.

 

FD

 

 

[Stevemercer]

As you say, almost certainly it has escaped or someone got bored with looking after it and let it go. It's claws haven't been clipped so it might have been out in the wild for quite some time. If you let it go it will probably end up in someone's dinner pot eventually.

[roo860]

Hi,
 
I found this thread after a search.
 
I have found a Green Iguana in the garden yesterday, it is about 4 feet long.
 
I live in the Western part of Kalasin, has anybody in the area lost a Green Iguana.
 
FD
 
 

Handsome devil!!
Years ago had a Water Dragon, loved strawberries!

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