How to Select a Healthy Iguana

Series Summary

Are you a creative soul that chooses to beat to a different drum? Does the potential normalcy of a pet dog or cat frighten you? Well, if you choose to align yourself with the eccentric and totally hip social caste, then no ordinary pet will do. And, nothing screams creativity and independence more than a pet iguana. The green iguana is a large species of lizard. It can grow up to five feet long and weigh as much as twenty pounds! Truly, an iguana this size would definitely demand attention. Also, for those cool hipsters, the happy or excited iguana will bob his head back and forth in manner that will make any metal head grin from ear to ear. This pet, though not a huge fan of being handled, will adapted well to an owner with a pleasant disposition and an appropriate habitat. So, if you have been considering exploring the lizard kingdom for a pet, this video series will put you on your way to a better understanding of iguanas.

In this free video series, learn how to maintain a healthy iguana. Our expert, Nichole Bragg, gives you information to keep your lizard as healthy as possible. Learn how to clean an iguana's cage, and learn how to keep your iguana safe from other pets. Nichole shows you how to identify mites, ticks, dehydration, and respiratory infections in iguanas. So, if you have a beloved lizard that you want to keep healthy, learn how to care for iguanas today!

Video Transcript

"On behalf of Expert Village, I'm Nicole, and I'm here to tell you about iguanas. My iguana is relatively healthy. He's rounded around the middle, he's got a nice round tail. His colors are good. Other than that, he has one missing toenail. But other than that, he's a real healthy iguana. What you want to look for in your iguana when you're purchasing it, is definitely the good green color, the round around the middle and the tail area. The toes, make sure they're not broken or bloody. The toenails should be there in juveniles. And you want to make sure there's no open sores or wounds, or too many scars on your iguana. Purchasing a healthy iguana is very important to begin with, because you don't want to purchase an iguana that is going to cause you issues as soon as you get it. You want to be able to control it's environment to keep it healthy, rather than purchasing a sick iguana and then trying to nurse it to health. The eyes should be round and clear. The skin should not be loose or wrinkly, and there should be no brown, crusty spots on the iguana where their retained skin hasn't been shed. You want to make sure the spines are all intact. You don't want to pick an iguana that has missing spines along its back, or large scars, or even any bumps underneath the skin. Any abnormal bumps underneath the skin are a good sign of abscesses that have been caused by, usually other iguana bites. Sometimes just infectious material in the pores, which causes an abscess. And basically your iguana should look well rounded, nice colors, good, alert activity, and clear eyes. "