Iguanas – Page 5 – Raising Lizards

Can Bearded Dragons Get along with Iguana's / Different Environments An iguana is much larger than a bearded dragon and can injure it easily. Are Bearded Dragons Get along with Iguana's? What is more, bearded dragons and iguana require different living conditions. Iguanas need hot, but humid conditions, and bearded dragons need hot and dry conditions. On top of that, both types of these lizards will get territorial and cause stress to each other. The only difference can be with desert iguanas that need hot conditions. But desert iguanas need a very large cage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYMKllMkld0 Iguana Living with Bearded Dragons Preferably, you should not even keep two or more bearded dragons together. Never keep green iguanas together, even females or a female and a male. Of course, you can keep different lizard species in the same house, but make sure iguanas cannot see or smell each other. Bearded Dragon (2') vs Iguana (6') Size Bearded dragons are much smaller in size than iguanas. Iguanas can reach 4-6 feet long, while bearded dragons only reach around 15-24 inches. Diet Omnivores / Vegetarians Bearded dragons are omnivores – which means that you must feed them both insects and greens. Most of the fed insects if not all, should be live. Jump to 7 Reasons to Have a Pet Iguana Iguanas, on the other hand, are strict vegetarians, so you won’t need to think about live insects. Caging Your bearded dragon does not need a huge terrarium – one adult can live well in a 40-65-gallon tank. But iguanas are much bigger, which means that one adult iguana will need a custom cage that is around 5-7 feet high, 7.5-9 feet long, and 5-6 feet wide. Iguanas need large vertical cages because they climb and bask on top of branches and other structures. Bearded dragons need wider tanks – they do not climb as much or as high. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJUBHsxl3dk Bearded Dragon and Iguana Lifespan While everything depends on the quality of care, iguanas can live for 10-15, and even 20 years. Most bearded dragons live for 7-12 years. Appearance Bearded dragons are small lizards that are easy to handle, but you should limit any handling until your bearded dragon is few months old. This is because they are easy to crush until they become bigger. Bearded dragons are cute and spiky. Iguanas are large lizards that have a solid body for handling. They truly resemble mini dragons with their green scales, spikes running along with the head, back, and tail, a long tail, and large cheeks. Intelligence Both bearded dragons and iguanas recognize their owners and their voices. Both can also understand their names and react to it. They will also exhibit different behaviors that will help understand them better. Ability to Live in Groups Bearded dragons prefer living on their own and get territorial. Males should never be kept together. House separately. Iguanas, however, should be kept strictly alone from the age of 6 months and up. They get extremely territorial, even female couples or a male and female couple. Iguanas should only be introduced for mating purposes. Docility and Taming Iguanas will take longer to tame, and you will need to handle it for 15-20 minutes daily for around a month or a few before you can tame it. Some iguanas take much longer, around 6 months, and some never become tame at all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zuJcMd9uGU But if you get a calm adult or a baby that you can work with, your chances are much higher. Once tame, iguanas make amazing inquisitive pets. Bearded dragons can be tamed quicker and become extremely laid back with daily interactions. But there are also bearded dragons that do not become tame, but this is not usual. Iguanas require interaction daily and a lot of bonding effort, to help them become more laid back and less temperamental. Costs This will depend on where you live, but both the bearded dragons and iguanas need similar heating and lighting requirements (energy costs). Bearded dragons will need live insects and greens, while iguanas will only need greens. Caging and other equipment will cost the same, but an adult iguana will need a custom cage, but that is a one-time cost. Do not forget about vet costs. The Danger of Bites and Scratches Iguanas can scratch or bite, causing quite serious injuries that sometimes might need stitching. You must not handle an iguana when it is showing signs of aggression. Sometimes you will need to wear thick gloves when taming your iguana. Bearded dragons are very unlikely to bite, only if they confuse your fingers with food, for example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOtpm5YZj-g Large Iguana Personality Iguanas make very interesting pets – you will not have to pet it regularly after it is tame. Iguanas are amazing because each iguana is a personality with its own character. Iguana males and females can be ‘alpha’ (dominant, temperamental) and ‘beta’ (laid back). Of course, taming and bonding will help shape your iguana’s character. Bearded dragons tend to be mellow and enjoy human interaction. They can sit with you for a long time, they even enjoy looking out of the window for long periods of time. Both iguanas and bearded dragons are diurnal. This means they are active during the day and sleep at night. Ease of Daily Care Iguanas love routines eating, pooping, sleeping, and more at the same time of the day. This can be both a good and bad thing, depending on your lifestyle. You will have to allow your iguana poop daily (taking it to the bath or throwing away soiled water after potty training). You will also have to chop fresh salads for your iguana daily. What is more, it is important to mist your iguana twice a day and bathe it daily, or at least 4 times a week. Washing food & water bowls is a daily task. Bearded dragons will require removing poop and uneaten food from the cage daily, as well as washing the water and food dishes with soap daily. You will also need to bathe your bearded dragon 1-2 times a week. On top of it, you will need to take care of your bearded dragon’s feeder insects. You will have to buy them, and gut-load them for around 24 hours before feeding to your bearded dragon. Gut-loading includes keeping bugs in the container with food and water (crystals or gel). Cage cleaning is a daily, weekly, and monthly task. Cleanliness You can potty train your iguana, and most poop every day in the bath or in the plastic tub filled with water places in the cage. Bearded dragons will poop anywhere in the tank, and you will have to pick it daily. Heating Requirements Both iguanas and bearded dragons require high basking temperatures of around 100 degrees F (37.3 Celsius). Bearded dragons will also need an under-tank heating pad in most cases for heating in cold weather or at night. Iguanas only prefer overhead heating. Lighting Requirements Both iguanas and bearded dragons need light and heat bulbs, as well as UVB bulbs. Bearded dragons need 10.0 UVB bulbs, while iguanas need 5.0-10.0 UVB bulbs. Humidity Requirements Bearded dragons come from deserts, so they need low humidity levels (25-40%). Green iguanas, on the other hand, come from tropical rain forests, so will need a high cage humidity (around 65-70%). A humidifier is often necessary. Suitability For Kids or Beginners Iguanas are not suitable for beginners, or children. This is because iguanas can be unpredictable, especially during the breeding season after reaching sexual maturity (around 2-2.5 years of age). Iguanas have sharp claws and teeth and need an advanced keeper who will understand its behaviors. Bearded Dragons are one of the Best Pet Lizards for Beginners They are mellow and unlikely to bite or scratch. Bearded dragons also make great companions and can chill with you while you are watching TV. Children can also help with care for a bearded dragon. This makes bearded dragons amazing family pets. Brumation Bearded dragons that are over 1 year old, tend to brumate for 2-3 months, often in winter. Not all bearded dragons will brumate. Brumating bearded dragons will be either taking long naps but being somewhat active or sleeping and not being too active. Iguanas, on the other hand, do not brumate at all. Price Both iguanas and bearded dragons are often sold for similar prices. Of course, there are different morphs, which can cost extra hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If you are considering getting an iguana especially, please consider adopting instead of buying one. Many iguanas are given away because their owners could not take care of them. There is a number of abandoned iguanas in rescue centers. Adaptability Iguanas hate changes and react badly to them. They love routines – even the amount of time that you are inside and outside the house. Iguanas hate changes in the feeding, sleeping, pooping times and etc. They might get angry to specific colors and to you wearing a towel around your head. Bearded dragons are more adaptable, even though they can become stressed as well after some changes, they are more tolerant of it. A bearded dragon will not take long to tame (if you do everything correctly) and will be mellow and tolerant of handling. So bearded dragons are much better starter pets and are easier to care for. Iguanas require experienced keepers, that will spend time bonding with them daily and will be willing to understand their moods and aggression during specific times. Bearded dragons are also good family pets and can enjoy both handling and alone time. But if you are an experienced lizard keeper and would like a larger lizard that resembles a mini dragon, an iguana can make an amazing pet if you are willing to put in the work. Tame iguanas can spend time with you and bond with you.