Pet Iguana Care, Maintenance, and Training - Is an Iguana the Right Pet For You?

A pet iguana can make a wonderful companion. If you are considering getting an iguana for a pet, there are a few things to consider beforehand. Iguanas are very interesting creatures and can provide you with hours of enjoyment and entertainment. If you decide to become an iguana pet owner, take time to understand what an iguana needs and be prepared to provide it so that your iguana experience is a rewarding one.

The most popular pet iguana is the green iguana. Iguanas are herbivores, or vegetarians. You need to establish a well balanced nutritional diet for your iguana early on. If a young child is asked to plan his diet, he might tell his mother he'd prefer a diet based on sugar, candy, sodas, and ice cream. His mother, however, knows very well that is NOT what he needs, and it is her job to teach him early in life how to eat properly. It is no different with your green iguana. Your iguana's diet should be rich in carbohydrates, high in fiber, and low in fat. Get your iguana on a proper diet in the beginning.

When you hold a hatchling iguana in your hand, it seems harmless enough. How much space could he possibly need? How much could he possibly eat? Iguanas get big. There is an old wives' tale that you can control the size of your iguana by limiting the size of his enclosure. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Attempting it is not healthy for your iguana.

When setting up the initial habitat for your pet iguana, allow for future growth. An iguana's habitat should be at a minimum 1.5 times the length of his body. Remember that other things have to fit into his living space besides him, such as lighting, feeding dishes, water bowls, heating equipment, and iguana "playground" accessories.

Your little hatchling will grow at least a foot per year and eventually reach five or more feet in length. Your iguana needs room to move around in his enclosure. There are many choices when it comes to iguana enclosures. Just keep size in mind when setting up your iguana's living area.

Using a smaller enclosure in the beginning is fine. Just bear in mind that your iguana will continue to grow, and he needs sufficient space to do so. Be prepared to modify or replace the enclosure if you choose to start out small.

Green iguanas are natives of a tropical climate, specifically South and Central America, and they require tropical living conditions. The amount and type of lighting and heat required for your iguana depends partly on your specific geographical area.

There are many products available for providing proper heat and light for your iguana. Do not assume that just any light or heat source is safe for your iguana. There are certain ultraviolet light sources that are not safe for your pet iguana, including specific types of fluorescents. Be sure to provide iguana safe heating and lighting sources to avoid problems.

Pets usually require some type of training. They also need socialization. Just like a devoted dog yearns to be petted and loved, your iguana needs attention, too. Just as the devoted dog has to be trained to behave properly, your iguana needs to be trained, too. You will have to work with your iguana regularly to gain his trust.

Your iguana will respond to touch, snacks and treats, exercise, freedom from his enclosure, and your love and attention. You might be finding this hard to believe. You are thinking this is an iguana, right? Yes, it is an iguana, and while iguanas are rarely domesticated and socialized in their natural wild habitat, they can be tamed. It is up to you to do it properly.

If you do not tame your iguana early and regularly, you will end up with a wild uncontrollable iguana that won't allow you near him. There is, unfortunately, no guarantee that every single iguana is capable of training regardless of the time and effort you invest. That is a chance you take when you decide to own an iguana.

It is similar with dogs. Dogs in the wild are similar to wolves and rarely trained or domesticated. Dogs respond to touch, snacks and treats, and your love and attention. Dogs require early and regular training in order to become well behaved, controllable animals. A dog treated badly, cruelly and totally ignored has the potential of becoming uncontrollable.

An iguana can make a great pet for you. It is best that you know up front what will be required of you to be a responsible iguana pet owner. Owning an iguana as a pet is not for everyone. If you are willing to follow iguana pet care guidelines properly and give your iguana the care and attention he deserves, you will have a very adventurous and rewarding relationship with a wonderful animal.

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Green Iguana

The Place to be: The Green Iguana Surf Camp

Do you want to experience fun and leisure while learning at the same time?

If you do, well, Green Iguana Surf Camp is the place just for you.

Green Iguana Surf Camp has been in the business for a long time now, teaching guests not just to ride the waves, but also to enjoy the entire surfing experience - all the while making sure that you know how to keep yourself safe in the Costa Rican waters.

Found in the heart of Playa Dominical, where waves are the most constant in the whole of Costa Rica, Green Iguana Surf Camp offers a one of a kind adventure to young and old alike; to the surfing enthusiast and your average vacation junkie; to the thrill seeker and the exhausted traveler.

Attractions

Picture-perfect examples of tropical beaches, Playa Dominical and its surrounding shorelines and reefs, like Playa Guapil, Playa Dominicalito, Playa Hermosa, and Playa Ventanas, are full of ideal surfing sites.

With their easy-to-ride breakers to more difficult kinds of waves, there are just no flat surfs in the places mentioned above, making them good locations for wannabes to become skilled at surfing. Intermediate and advanced surfers, on the other hand, can further hone their skills in beautiful pointbreaks known as “Papas Point” to Playa Dominical’s natives or “The Point” to many.

Green Iguana Surf Camp also offers many activities other than surfing. With its rainforest canopies, breathtaking beaches, and several waterfalls, an adventurer can engage in tours, kayaking, and even rappelling. The weary traveler, on the other hand, can always relax and watch the golden sunset while stretched lazily in a hammock, the sound of the rolling waves at the background.

Lodgings

Green Iguana Surf camp also offers lodgings to its guests. There are two kinds: the beachside lodgings and the rainforest lodgings.

1. Diuwak (pronounced as “Dee-you-wak”) Resort is for those who want to be near the ocean. Elegant, rustic, and yet comfortable, it is approximately 100 feet from the sea. Diuwak has Package One and Package Two rooms.

• Package 1 or standard room has single and double beds, a private lavatory with heater, telephone, an electric fan or air conditioner.
• Package 2 or deluxe room has all the facilities from Package 1, but are a little bigger. They also have a television set and a mini-refrigerator.

2. Rainforest Lodgings also offers different amenities, but, as its name suggests, it is a place where you can stay in the forest surrounded by the profound silence of nature. So, if you want to learn how to surf in Costa Rica and reflect on your life as well, Green Iguana Surf Camp’s Rainforest Lodgings is the kind of lodging to choose.

Other Features

Besides the nice lodgings, guided tours to the different beaches and surf areas, and trips to the waterfalls, Green Iguana Surf Camp also offers surf lessons by seasoned teachers and lifeguards, a CD featuring photos of your surf instruction, a Green Iguana t-shirt, a trip to the Reptile Park, and transportation back and forth from the San Jose airport. The packages also include meals and a therapeutic massage.

Whichever package you choose, Green Iguana Surf Camp guarantees pure fun!

Now, close your eyes. Imagine yourself a few days, weeks, or months from now in your summer outfit or that skimpy bikini (no need for that wet suit), smiling with sun-tanned local children, with attractive waves and palm trees neatly-lined at the beach in the background.

Enticing, right? What are you waiting for then? Contact Green Iguana Surf Camp now!



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Desert Iguanas

Some Facts about the Desert Iguana

1) Description – the desert iguana (Dipsosaurus Dorsalis) is 10 to 16 inches long when fully grown. It has a large, round body with a long tail. In fact, the tail of the desert iguana is longer than its body. Described as "blunt-headed", desert iguanas have very distinct coloring patterns. The head of the desert iguana is colored brown. This coloration diffuses into reddish brown pattern which could be described as looking like a net.

The desert iguana has gray spots on the trunk and neck. Desert iguanas also have dark spots on their white or gray tails. A row of dorsal scales are located down the center of the back of the desert iguana.

2) Habitat – As can be gleamed from its common name, the desert iguana lives in arid desert regions. Desert iguanas are commonly found in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts founding the southwest of the United States. They are also located in Northwestern Mexico and some islands on the Gulf of California. In the southern part of its habitat, the desert iguana usually lives in arid subtropical areas and deciduous forests.

In the desert, these animals can usually be found around the range of the creosote bush. The desert iguana makes use of the creosote bush for shelter and for food. There are also several cases of desert iguanas moving into the abandoned lairs of kangaroo rats.

They are hardy animals, often active even when other lizards have already retreated from the heat. They are also inclined to burrow into the soil near creosote bushes.

3) Food – desert iguanas are primarily herbivorous. This means that they are inclined to eat plant matter. They will eat bud, leaves and fruits of many types of perennial or annual plants that are found in their habitats. They are especially attracted to the yellow flowers of the creosote plant.

4) Behavior – as said before, desert iguanas remain active even during intense heat. However, if the heat proves too much, a desert iguana will climb bushes in order to seek cooler temperatures. They are very quick and they can often be seen crossing roads just before an oncoming car. When a desert iguana runs at these speeds, it often does so on two legs. It folds its front legs near its body and uses its powerful hind legs to propel it forward.

5) Natural enemies –like other animals, desert iguanas have natural enemies. In fact, even before they hatch, there area lot of animals which would eat iguana eggs. A mature desert iguana also has different birds of prey as its natural enemy.

Other common enemies of the desert iguana are small animals such as rats, weasels, foxes and snakes. Of course, man is also one common enemy of the iguana. Many a desert iguana has fallen prey to the automobile. These desert iguanas are now referred to as "roadkill" by the human beings who drive these machines carelessly and without regard for the lives of small animals.

These are just some facts about desert iguanas. As you can see, there are many things about them that people need to know. Hopefully, these facts have opened your eyes and have shown you that desert iguanas are so much more than stupid medium sized lizards. By learning all you can about desert iguanas, you will soon be able to fully appreciate their beauty.


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Baby Iguanas

Babying your Baby Iguana the Right way

If there are baby dogs, cats or rabbits, then there are also baby iguanas. It is during this stage that these iguanas appear in their most fragile and need your loving care the most. Although they appear like they are easy to take of in their small appearance, proper precaution is needed so that they will be healthy in their older years.

Just like any juvenile pet, there are certain requirements that you need to provide for your baby iguana. Although they are not as meticulous and as herd to get as any other pet food, you should also consider if these things will be perfect for your iguana. You do not want them to become sickly and eventually die even before you see them in their full sizes, now do you?

Here are some of the important factors you need to consider when taking care of your baby iguana.

1. Shelter.

Not just any other type of cage will do. Though it does not matter what kind it is made of, you need to consider what should be inside the cage that the iguana will need.

An example is having something in them that will keep your pet warm during the night. Check out for carpeting or artificial turf to cover the flooring area of the cage. If you do not have the budget for it, you can opt for newspapers because they work just as well.

Since iguanas live on trees, you need to set up some branches for your pet to climb on to. Climbing on branches will form part of their leisure and movements. Just make sure that the branches are stable enough to hold their weight in case they lay down on them.

2. Temperature.

Baby iguanas should always be warm in order to stay healthy. Since you have no way of telling this just by looking at them, you can put a thermometer inside their cage so you can monitor the changes in the temperature inside the cage.

Make certain that you maintain a temperature of 70 degrees during the night and 85 degrees in the day. It is also a good idea for the cage for its shelter to be placed near a source of heat. You will see that your pet is inclined to have a comfortable rest if they stay close to that heat being radiated.

Special monitoring of temperature is required during the cold season. Check the shelter regularly. You would not want your pet to freeze to death without you knowing.

3. Food intake.

Baby iguanas need to have a diet that is rich in Vitamin D3, phosphorous and calcium. Lots of greens are also needed. You can also give them vegetables and fruits that you yourself are consuming.

Baby iguanas are not used to being fed any kind of food. Their digestive system is not as strong and as flexible as cats or dogs. Know what kind of food they can take and what they cannot.

Your baby iguana can grow up healthy and strong just by taking care of them the way you do any kind of pet. If it is absolutely necessary, you can consult a vet that specializes in iguana for things that are far beyond your comprehension. They will be able to give you sound advices regarding your baby iguana and the things that you need to do.


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