Iguana Nutrition: Feeding Your Iguana

Iguana diets are highly debated and controversial subjects as far as what to feed and how much. Part of the reason is because there is still so much to learn about them before we can say we have perfected their dietary needs, however we know enough to have a conversation and to make sure your iguana is getting the best nutrition you as its caretaker can provide. 

PLANTS, BUGS, BOTH?

First thing is first, green iguanas are strict herbivores. No one should argue me on this, because it’s science. Their bodies are not properly prepared to break down and utilize animal protein. So with that being said, please only feed your green iguanas vegetation - NO BUGS! 

WATER

You should always have a bowl of water available to your iguana, separate from their tub of water for soaking and possibly defecating. Very rarely will you see them drink, and that is ok, but you should always have water provided. A majority of the water they receive will come from their food, but also from the high humidity in their enclosure. A well hydrated iguana is a healthy iguana! Make sure your iguana has access to clean fresh water every day. Dirty old bacteria infected water is unsanitary and can lead to health concerns. 

FOOD 

Like water, make sure your iguana has access to new fresh meal at every feeding. No one wants to eat a salad that has been left out for a day. 

HOW OFTEN?

The general consensus is that green iguanas should be fed daily. Some people will say adults can be fed every other day or so, but ideally you want to offer your iguana fresh food every single day. 

HOW MUCH?

This is the easy part of feeding iguanas - let the iguana tell you how much. If you feed your iguana and come back to an empty dish, odds are you did not put out enough. You want there to be leftover food at the end of the day. This lets you know that your iguana got its’ fill and isn’t still hungry. However, if you see that during the day your iguanas dish is empty, you can certainly give them more food! There’s no problem feeding multiple times a day, since iguanas will only eat until they are comfortable. 

WHEN TO FEED?

In my opinion, earlier in the day is better. I know many other iguana keepers will agree with me on this as well. This will give the iguana ample time to sit and bask in its basking light and UVB to digest its food properly. Giving a little bit of food in the evening is fine, you just don’t want to give the iguana the majority of its food in the evening before it goes to bed for the night. 

THE BASICS OF FEEDING

Here are the basic yet important aspects of feeding your iguana:

• Give a Variety

• Prioritize the 2:1 Calcium to phosphorus ratio
• A good diet isn’t complete without good UVB exposure and proper temperatures

2:1 CALCIUM TO PHOSPHORUS RATIO

This ratio is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when feeding your iguana. Calcium is extremely important to keep an iguana strong and healthy, and a lack thereof can cause common health problems such as metabolic bone disease. 

(To learn more about MBD click here)

Phosphorous is an important part of an iguana’s diet as well, put too much phosphorus can lead to problems for your iguana, so you always want to aim for a 2:1 ratio. 

Now you are probably wondering how to tell the ratio of what you are feeding. The best way to check the ratios of different foods is to consult the Green Iguana Societies food chart. 

WHAT TO FEED

Your iguana needs a combination of greens, vegetables, fruits, and supplements. We will talk about supplementation after we talk about what to feed your iguana. 

The main rule of thumb is to compose your iguana's diet of 45% greens 45% veggies and 10% fruit, or as I like to say 50/50 greens and veggies with a little bit of fruit. You can also offer a small amount of grain based food once in a while as a treat, such as whole wheat bread or cooked rice/pasta, although I never do, because Arcadius has no interest. 

Remember to offer a variety of foods - no one likes to eat the same meal every. Single. Day. 

Greens

My go to greens are collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, watercress, and mustard greens. These are all higher in calcium than phosphorus, and considered a staple green. They make an extremely nutritious and delicious salad when you pick a couple to mix together. 

Other good greens to mix in with your staples are escarole, bok choy, and endive.

Vegetables

My go-to veggies are squash (butternut, acorn, and kabocha), green beans, peas, and parsnip. These are great staple veggies to feed your iguana. 

Other good veggies to mix in on occasion or with your staple veggies are asparagus, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and carrots. Bell peppers are an excellent taste and color enhancer for you Iggy salads, and I almost always add a little to Arcadius’ salads. 

Fruits

My go to fruits are mangoes hands down. Mangoes are also known as iguana crack, because iggys absolutely love them. Cactus leaves (prickly pear), mangoes, and papaya are some of the best staple fruits you can give your iguana.  

Other good fruits to feed on occasion are various berries, grapes, bananas, and melons. Feeding watermelon is a great way to increase your iguana’s water intake, and that was one of the main treats Arcadius was fed when he was on the mend from his metabolic bone disease, because we wanted to up his water intake. 

Extra Special Treats

Want to really get on your iguanas good side? Offer flowers. You have to do some research to make sure the flowers you offer are iguana safe, and you always want to be cautious that your flowers aren’t treated with things such as pesticides. 

Some iguana favorite flowers are dandelions, nasturtiums, dahlias, and hibiscus. 

Foods you won’t catch me feeding

Now that I’ve told you all of the food items I feed to Arcadius, I’m going to tell you what foods you won’t catch me feeding him - the first being lettuces, such as iceberg or romaine. Now there aren’t harmful to your iguana by any means, so many people will feed these to their reptiles as an additional green to mix in to add variety. The problem I have with them is that they have little to no nutritional value, so for me it’s not worth feeding to my iguana, because I have so many other nutritional greens to feed him. 

The rest of the foods I won’t feed Arcadius have more to do with oxalates and goitrogens. The 2:1 ratio is important to keep in mind, but so is keeping an eye on how much oxalates and goitrogens your iguana is taking in. 

Oxalates can sometimes bind to calcium, making it so the iguanas body can’t utilize it, meanwhile goitrogens can bind iodine, leading to hypothyroidism. These two things are common in many foods, some of which I will not feed my iguana. They are the following - 

Kale, Spinach, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and cauliflower.

Many people will feed their reptiles these foods as a way to add variety, because in an overall healthy diet, adding these as a treat should not do any hard, however in my opinion it isn’t worth it. Many fruits will be high in either goitrogens or oxalates, so I prefer to be more lenient with fruit since it’s a special treat, and then offer him a variety of staple and very healthy greens and veggies. 

(I also may be biased because it was a diet of spinach, kale, and broccoli that contributed to Arcadius having severe metabolic bone disease). 

Again, for a full list of all the food possibilities, their nutritional value, and how to prepare, visit the Green Iguana Societies Food Chart.

SUPPLEMENTATION

There are three main types of supplements you should provide your iguana with:

Calcium without D3

·         As we stated earlier, calcium is a very important part of an iguana's diet, so it’s a good idea to add a supplemental calcium to your pet’s diet to insure they are getting enough. I say without D3, because your iguana’s body synthesizes D3 from UVB exposure, and too much D3 can cause problems such as organ mineralization. 

·         Repti Calcium from Zoo Med is a good powdered source.

·         Baby iguanas should get a pinch of calcium daily, and young iguanas should get a pinch almost every day.

·         An adult iguana will need supplementation much less.

·         Supplement calcium more frequently for gravid females or iguanas suffering from MBD. 

·          

Multivitamin

·         Just like people, iguanas need a multivitamin supplement to assist their body with getting any vitamins they might not be getting enough of in their diet. This just helps insure an extra healthy iguana. 

·         Herpvite multivitamins from rep-cal is a great all natural multivitamin supplement. 

·         Add a pinch for a young iguana every other feeding, and a pinch for adults once or twice a week. 

Protein

·         Protein is an important part of anyone's diet, but since green iguanas are strict herbivores, they need plant protein - the best supplement for this is alfalfa. Sometimes you can find shredded alfalfa in small mammal departments, but you can also crush alfalfa tablets that can be found in most pharmacies. 

·         I add alfalfa to Arcadius’ meal every other feeding. 

Visit Anapsid for a supplementation schedule by clicking HERE.

So there you have it! An overall guide to iguana nutrition and how to feed your iguana! If you have any questions please leave a comment, or you can contact me via email or on any social media, such as Instagram and twitter.

Happy Salad Making!