Red Iguana Facts

Facts about the Red Iguana



The Iguana family is considered the largest of the lizard families. The most common are the green iguanas. But there are also some with colorful skin, they are known as the red iguana.



One of the popular red iguanas is the Red sided skink. These are multicolored terrestrial and semi-aquatic lizards that are native to the rocky steppes and open forests habitat of Southern and Eastern Africa.



Today, these red iguanas are now the most common well-liked pet reptiles. They are also one of the most purchased on some pet shops. Thus, these red iguanas are now found in the garden and even inside the house.



Care and Feeding Your Red Iguana



Like any other pet, there are some requirements needed in order for the red iguana to grow on its new environment.



1. Proper Housing



A red iguana can live in an aquarium with 30 gallons of water. Enclosures can vary in shapes, sizes and styles, and are made out of glass or wood. The base should be easy to clean. The most efficient to use is the newspaper, but linoleum and artificial grass are also excellent options as well. Keep enclosures away from soil, sand and bark, as these can lead to impaction or obstruction if your iguana ingests them. It is also important to provide them with shallow container for the food and water. These food and water dishes must be thoroughly disinfected and cleaned regularly. It is also necessary to add climbing materials such as twigs, barks, broad limbs and rocks.



2. Right Feeding



Iguanas in general are herbivores and should be given a variety of vegetable and fruits. The bulk of the diet must contain green leafy vegetables such as mustard greens, escarole, kale, and spinach. But it is also important to feed them with limited amount of protein rich foods. You can also offer mixed vegetable like green peppers, squash, frozen mixed vegetables and green beans, and fruits like, bananas, mangoes, and apples. Like other pets, iguanas should be fed everyday.



3. Appropriate Amount of Water



Water is the most essential needs of the iguanas, thus it should be readily available. Normally, iguanas get water through the plant they consume, others lapping water off wood or on the leaves. Exposing your iguana on your environment early in the morning will avoid them from being dehydrated. These iguanas provided with water dishes can train on their own to purge on their water. So, it is important that their dishes are regularly cleaned to prevent bacterial infections.



4. Grooming your Iguana



Like all pets, your iguana must also be properly groomed. Bathing is a good routine to get your iguana used to. It is one way for your pet to obtain water and cleanse themselves. Bathing should be done using lukewarm water in a shallow container, at least 3 times a week. Always, aid your pet to avoid accidents. Keep in mind that not all iguanas have fun during bath time, some might panic.



5. Handling your Iguana



Iguanas should be handled frequently to discipline or tame them. Your pet iguana can be trained to show fondness for those who handle them regularly. They should be held 2-3 times everyday for at least fifteen minutes. Gently stroke, their back and neck and get your pet reptile used to handling and picking them up. Just keep in mind that iguanas can be aggressive by nature so extreme caution is needed in handling your pet reptile.



The information above are some facts about the red iguanas that you must keep in mind. Remember that the pet iguanas are also important and should be treated with proper care.

Puerto Vallarta Iguana

Puerto Vallarta Iguanas: Enjoy Seeing them while You’re on Vacation



No idea of where to go for a holiday escapade? Why don’t you try Puerto Vallarta? Most people are desiring to enter the haven and paradise world of Puerto Vallarta and you could be one of those aspirants! For one, there is the Banderas Bay. The place is fit for sunbathing, snorkeling, and surfing. If you love these activities then Puerto Vallarta is the best place to stay! There is no need to worry about the facilities and accommodations because there are inclusive condos and hotels all over the place. In Puerto Vallarta, you will be communing with nature in a relaxing manner. There are colorful butterflies, bountiful tropical flora, egrets, pelicans, scissor tails, geckos, and Puerto Vallarta iguanas! When it comes to the enjoyable activities, Puerto Vallarta is also rich with them. Golf courses and bars abound the area. With all of its captivating sceneries, Puerto Vallarta has not only been once featured in Hollywood movies!

In fact, it was in the year 1963 when the place was taken to center stage with the film “Night of the Iguana”. You might as well want to take a glimpse of the captivating place of Puerto Vallarta during one of your vacations.



A native Puerto Vallarta travel would be to take the local bus. The trip will not be boring since there are drumming, tooting flutes, “bus-kers”, singing, and strumming on board that do the entertainment of the passengers. As you reach your destination, you can settle in at a homey environment as offered by the number of hotels and condos around the area. The Puerto Vallartans are very hospitable in a sense that they will take care of you up to the utmost manner. You can go bar hopping, go to galleries, listen to the music, surf, snorkel, scuba dive, enjoy the lush beauty of nature, walk by the seashore, swim, tour the caves, and see the Puerto Vallarta iguanas.



Because Puerto Vallarta is a place that is close to nature, the Puerto Vallarta iguanas thrive in it. They can be seen thriving close to streams and rivers. They can usually be seen atop the trees basking under the sun, eating fruits, seeds, flowers, and leaves of the bushes, and then diving into the water especially when predators aim at them. The Puerto Vallarta iguanas are fast runners and splendid swimmers. Other habitats of the Puerto Vallarta iguanas are the cacti, burrows, and shrubs. Beforehand, the Puerto Vallarta iguanas can be spotted near the coastlines but since the time that the area has been frequented by travelers and visitors, these reptiles had been forced to retreat into the further sides of the island. They do love to bask under the sun because they need to regulate their body temperatures.



For most of the visitors of Puerto Vallarta, they get inspired to keep the Puerto Vallarta iguanas for domestic pets. When these reptiles sense an oncoming attack, they usually strike its tail, bite, or scratch the enemy as a way of its defense mechanism. Aside from this, they prove to be harmless to humans.



Like other animals, the existence of the Puerto Vallarta iguanas are now also at risk especially with the rate in the destruction of their natural dwellings. The clamor of the Puerto Vallarta iguanas may be taken as the restoration of their habitats so that they can enjoy their existence more.

Pictures Of Iguanas

New Pet Iguana - Tame Them



Iguanas belong to the family of lizards. Like most reptiles, iguanas belong to the cold-blooded animals whose body temperature changes with the temperature of the air or water around it that is why iguanas have excellent capability to survive to the environment.



Iguanas have a long, whip-like tails, eyelids, four sprawling legs, big mouth and saw-like teeth. Iguanas are of different species. They may differ in behavior, size and color which may vary from green to yellow. Some has a vivid color, some has dull color. These creatures usually have a life span of 15-20 years in captivity.



Iguanas have its unique adaptation to its habitat. The Marine Iguanas are skillful swimmer, the Green iguanas can usually be found in rainforest, and others, like the desert iguanas have the ability to adapt and survive even in dry and hot desert.



There are iguanas that are readily available in pet shops. These have gain the popularity of iguanas for pet. It is challenging to own iguanas especially in taming it. Unlike cats and dogs, iguanas are not domesticated animals. It takes time before they become comfortable and tame. They have still the instinct and behavior that help them survive in the wild even after years of captivity and breed.



It is also very important when handling iguanas, to make sure they are comfortable. Iguanas are sometimes territorial aggressive creatures. In taming them, you need to be patient. It is best to handle them daily. In handling them, do not swoop your hand from above them, they may think you’re a predator, remember these creatures are used to wild habitat. Instead, bring your hand to its eye level and approach them slowly. Don’t make any fast moves. There are pictures of iguanas and how to handle them that may give you vivid picture on how to handle them. Talking and whispering while you are approaching them may also help. Handling your iguanas on daily basis and spending time with them will gradually tame them. Understanding their body language and their real meaning, like bobbing of their head, whipping their tail will help you interact with your pet better.



There are highly debated topics when it comes to feeding or what to feed to your iguanas. Iguanas are basically herbivore creatures. They eat leaves, fruits and flowers. Improper feeding may result to death or sickness of your pet. Iguanas are strictly vegetarian. Although there are books that say iguanas can be fed other animal protein based foods. It is recommended for them to have a varied diet.



Iguanas have saw-like teeth that they use to rip and tear their food instead of chewing it. Clean and chop the food finely before giving it to them. It is important for your iguanas to have strong and healthy bones. Providing them with a wide variety fresh food that is high in calcium and phosphorous and clean water is good for your iguanas’ diet. Iguanas should be fed daily. At least two leafy green each day.



The amount of food that you may give to your iguana depends on the size and the appetite of your pet. It would be best to give them enough food that will last all day and even leave food at night. You can also find tables of good food that you can feed to your iguanas.



Reading up more information about iguanas, such as how to tame them, proper training, handling and proper feeding them will help you successfully kept them for years.

Pet Iguanas

Pet Iguanas: What can You Expect from Them?



Nearly thousands of people are currently keeping pet iguanas in their homes. But then certainly, there are a few valuable information to note of when intending to keep pet iguanas. The pet stores give pertinent information to the buyers of these reptiles especially when it comes to their behavior, caging, lifestyle, and diet. The internet also hosts the most worthy information about taking care of pet iguanas. So if you are a budding owner of pet iguanas, this article is just for you.



Iguanas are the most popular lizards that are taken home to be pets. They rank to be among today’s pet “fads”. They are even sold in the most affordable prices in several pet stores. They are not that difficult to take care of but of course they are to be highly maintained. Things such as veterinary medications, feeding techniques, caging tips, and many others are among the most particular things to consider when getting pet iguanas. Yes, the pet iguanas must be properly caged and well-fed so as not to risk their long life span. They become very huge that owners may think they will be hard to tame, feed, and control. At times, the bigger and matured iguanas can become really aggressive. They may also attempt several times to escape.



So what should you expect from a pet iguana? Obviously, what you need to give your pet iguana is sufficient tender loving care. Aside from that, you should also maintain right sanitation within its cage. You must be careful to handle your iguanas especially when there are children, pregnant women, elderly people, and not yet immunized individuals that try to be in contact with your pet iguanas.



Which iguana will be right for you to take care of? The "Iguana iguana" or the rainforest green iguana ranks to be the most-sought after pet iguana by many people. These plant-eating lizards find solace in the shrubby places. If you intend to have them as pets, you must create a homey environment for them. It will be utterly significant to provide branches that will allow them to bask under the heat of the sun that will be allowed to enter into their housing. More so, alternative heat sources can be utilized. You just have to be careful not to let your pet iguanas reach the bulbs and other heater devices or else they will get burned.



It is also important that you know of its digestive makeup. The iguanas are known to be Hind-Gut fermenters which mean that their lower intestinal tracts play a major role for their survival. Such digestive tract is held to be responsible for the production of the fatty acids, water reabsorption, vitamins, and many others. Malnutrition and uncleanness often result to sickness and death of the pet iguanas. Overall, you must learn how to cater to the food and habitat needs of your supposed to be pet iguana.



Like any other living being, the pet iguanas have their own taste preferences. They may or may not like certain foods that you will give. It is better to study the overall profile of your pet iguana so that it can live its life to the fullest. Having pet iguanas will give you some time to understand how animals of these species react and behave. Their existence actually lies on your own hands.

Marine Iguana

What are Marine Iguanas



As its name suggests, the marine iguana is set apart from the rest of its relative mainly because it has a unique attribute of being capable to forage and live in the seawater. The marine iguana is in truth only to be found thriving within the Galapagos Islands that is why its existence in the island has branded the reptile the name “Galapagos marine iguana”. The natural habitat of the marine iguana is on the rocky shores of the Galapagos Island but they can likewise be seen in the mangrove and marshes beaches.



Some people such as Charles Darwin describe the marine iguanas as the black lizards thriving on the sea. But the truth is that the marine iguanas are not usually black in color. The younger marine iguanas take the dorsal stripe color whereas the adult ones are grayish. Their color may be really dull but there is a reason behind this. Such color allows them to easily absorb heat right after they emerge out of the water. Their food is usually the marine algae. They expel the remaining salts from their nasal glands as they go on with basking under the heat of the sun. The salt contained in their bodies makes their faces appear whiter.



More so, the matured male marine iguanas have a varying color—all of which depend on the existing season. During the breeding seasons, the adult male marine iguanas become teal-green or reddish in colors. Those thriving in Santa Cruz appear in black and red brick while those found in Fernandina come in dull green and brick red colors. Their sizes likewise differ which depends on the island that they live in. Those found in the whole of Isabela and Fernandina are the largest marine iguanas in the entire island of Galapagos. Meanwhile, the smallest marine iguanas are to be found in Genovesa.



As said to be poikilothermic animals, the marine iguanas can only spend very little time out in the cold sea whenever they dive for their algae food. Thus, they commonly swim within the very shallow water of the island. After swimming, they proceed to bask under the sun to have their bodies warmed up again. During the cold days, the marine iguana cannot effectively move thus making them too vulnerable for their predators. Since they cannot move fast, what they do is to strike their tails up in the air and bite their enemies. During the entire breeding season, the male marine iguanas mate with the females and likewise guard them against the rest of the male reptiles.

Moreover, the marine iguanas adjust their sizes to be able to adapt to the food condition in existence. There was a time during the onset of the El Niño when the algae decreased in number so the marine iguanas actually decreased in their lengths too. When the food supply started to normalize, the reptiles returned to their normal condition. The marine iguanas are not as fast as the rest of its relatives. When taken as pets, their predators become the dogs and cats. They can be easily attacked by these predators since they are too slow and much tamed.



To date, the government of Ecuador has set up laws that aim to protect the existence of marine iguanas. There are artificial nestling sites which had been made in the smaller islands so that there will be lesser predators that can harm them.