How to Feed Iguanas

The actual process of feeding a new pet iguana is quite easy; it's getting the iguana to eat that's the trick, or rather finding the food combination that whets your pet iguana's appetite. No two iguanas seem to be alike in eating habits. Once you find the combination that works, stay with it. Iguanas do not appreciate a change in feeding routine.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Juvenile iguana food
• Adult iguana food
• Romaine lettuce
• Feeder crickets
• Mealworms
• Finely diced carrots
• Grape juice

1. Find out what the breeder or previous owner was feeding and what the habits were. Get specific instructions including whether the pet was fed in its habitat or moved to a different area. Return to the schedule and habits as soon as possible.

2. Use a shallow feed bowl or slightly bury the bowl in the cage liner material. Put the pet food in the same place every day. Iguanas will not usually work too hard to get to food in a bowl, so make it as easy as possible for them.

3. Juvenile iguanas need special foods, especially those under one foot long. Juvenile iguana food is available with added vitamins and minerals for your baby iguana's health. It is important to offer juvenile iguana food daily. If your pet won't eat it, soak the food in a teaspoon of grape juice.

4. Make a small salad of diced romaine lettuce and carrot shavings. For the safety of your lizard, dice the ingredients into tiny pieces. Iguanas, especially juveniles can choke on large pieces of lettuce or carrots.

5. If the iguana is used to a live diet, offer crickets or meal worms. Be sure to use live food supplements with a live diet, including feeding the crickets a gut loading meal.

Tips & Warnings

• Iguanas can be very finicky eaters, once you find a diet that the pet enjoys don't change it.
• HerpCare makes a calcium based powder for feeder cricket. Immediately prior to feeding crickets to the iguana, put a small amount of the powder in a plastic bag, put crickets in bag with powder and shake to coat. This will help ensure that the pet is getting the essential vitamins needed.
• Make new food introductions slowly. Any sudden variations in a pet iguana's feeding routine may cause it to stop eating all together.
• If feeding live food, make sure the food is smaller than the iguana.
• Give only two to three crickets at a time to a pet iguana; if the lizard feels outnumbered it won't eat.
• Use mealworms as a treat only; too many of these and your iguana will get sick.
• As an iguana grows it may become more aggressive when eating; you may want to feed the pet in another cage so as not to get snapped at when reaching in the home habitat.