The difficulties of green iguana keeping are mainly in the following aspects:
- Environmental settings:
- Temperature control: Green iguanas are tropical animals with high temperature requirements and a need for temperature differences between day and night. The temperature needs to be maintained at 32-35°C at the basking spot during the day, around 28°C at other locations in the box, and 25-28°C at night. If the temperature is not properly controlled, such as not having proper insulation in winter or malfunctioning heating equipment, it will affect the appetite, digestion and metabolism of the green iguana, and even lead to illness or death. Moreover, the room temperature varies greatly from season to season and from region to region. It is necessary to constantly adjust the power and usage time of the heating equipment according to the actual situation, which is a test of the keeper’s experience and patience.
- Humidity Maintenance: The native environment of green iguanas is high temperature and high humidity in Central and South America, and it is best to keep the humidity above 60%-80% when keeping them in captivity. However, in actual breeding, it is difficult to maintain high humidity. On one hand, the devices to maintain high humidity are complicated, such as the need to use humidifiers and place water basins, etc. On the other hand, in the high temperature and high humidity as well as in the environment with food and excreta, it is easy to breed bacteria and fungi, which will lead to the green iguanas being infected with diseases.
- Light Management:
- UVB Provision: Green iguanas need to synthesise Vitamin D3 in their skin through exposure to UVB light to promote calcium absorption. Without sufficient UVB exposure, iguanas will suffer from calcium metabolism disorders, leading to serious diseases such as metabolic bone disease. However, there are certain requirements for the selection and use of UVB lamps, such as energy-saving lamps can not be used UVB, reliable fluorescent lamps UVB, and pay attention to the service life of the lamp and the frequency of replacement, and can not be separated from the glass or plexiglass to the green iguana irradiation of ultraviolet light, which will affect the effect of UVB.
- Light Cycle: Green iguanas require a regular daily light cycle. It is generally recommended to provide around 14 hours of light and UVB exposure per day, and it must be ensured that there are dark hours without light at night to allow the iguana to rest. If lights are left on for long periods of time, this can stress the green iguana and affect its health.
- Dietary management:
- Food Selection: Green iguanas are pure vegetarians and their diet is based on the leaves, flowers and fruits of plants. However, not all vegetables and fruits are suitable for green iguanas. It is necessary to choose foods with suitable calcium to phosphorus ratio, such as turnip, kale, pumpkin, etc. And try to avoid foods with high oxalic acid content, such as spinach, etc., because oxalic acid will combine with calcium in the intestinal tract and affect the absorption of calcium.
- Balanced Nutrition: In addition to providing a varied plant-based diet, green iguanas need to be supplemented with calcium and vitamin powders on a regular basis to ensure that their nutrition is balanced. If calcium and vitamins are under or over supplemented, it will have an impact on the health of the green iguana.
- Feeding Frequency: Green iguanas of different ages are fed at different frequencies, hatchlings need to be fed 2-3 times a day and adults can be fed once a day. If you feed too much or too little, it will affect the growth, development and health condition of the green iguana.
- Health Care:
- DISEASE PREVENTION: Green iguanas are susceptible to various diseases such as respiratory infections, gastrointestinal diseases, parasitic infections and so on. You need to keep the breeding environment clean and hygienic during the breeding process, and disinfect the breeding box and utensils regularly to avoid the green iguanas coming into contact with pathogens. At the same time, it is important to observe the behaviour, appetite and faeces of the green iguana, so that early symptoms of disease can be detected in time and treatment measures can be taken.
- Daily Physical Examination: Give your iguana a physical examination on a regular basis, including checking for abnormalities in the skin, eyes, mouth, tail, etc., and measuring weight, body length and other indicators to see if they are normal. If the green iguana is found to have injuries, diseases or abnormal growth and development, etc., it is necessary to consult a veterinarian or experienced keeper promptly.
- Behavioural management:
- Difficulty in domestication: Green iguanas are usually timid and wary of humans, and require time and effort to domesticate. During the domestication process, care should be taken to move gently and avoid frightening the green iguana, otherwise it may lead to stress reactions, such as hunger strike and hitting the wall.
- Prevent escape: Green iguanas have strong climbing and jumping ability, if the design of the breeding box is not reasonable or not closed properly, it will easily lead to the escape of green iguanas. Once an iguana escapes, it is not only difficult to retrieve it, but may also pose a threat to the surrounding environment and people.
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