Do Iguana’s Need to be Misted
Do Iguana’s Need to be Misted? It is important to mist the iguana at least once a day. They shed their skin every four to six weeks, and misting helps with the shedding process. It is also important to mist the iguana’s environment as this helps keep them comfortable and hydrated.
A lot of new iguana owners think about the animal’s habitat when they purchase a new pet. However, there is a lot more to consider, as iguanas require a certain amount of water for shedding, bathing, and drinking. Jump to 7 Reasons to Have a Pet Iguana
Do Iguana’s Need to be Misted / Helps the Shedding Process
While bathing can help keep the iguana clean, misting my iguana daily can help with the shedding process. To do this, take a clean spray bottle and add regular tap water. There is no need for special commercialized iguana sprays that can be purchased at pet stores. Plain water is perfectly fine for my little one.
Make sure the water is not too cold. It should be at room temperature and leave it beside the cage so you can quickly access it when you need it. The iguana should be misted daily. This helps keep the old skin moist and flaky, so it comes off easier. This also helps prevent the animal from becoming dehydrated and keeps the air more humid.
Iguana also helps with the shedding process by rubbing up against items in its cage and the wire mesh walls. From time to time, you should notice if some of the old skin not coming off as easily, spray it an extra time for a few days. If the iguana becomes too dry, skin starts to die, and this can restrict the new skin from growing.
The danger of new skin not being able to grow can restrict the iguana’s movements especially around its claws and feet. Give the loose skin a little tug to see if it is ready to come off. If you meet it with no resistance, your iguana is well hydrated, but if there is resistance it is not ready to come off and you need to continue misting more often. This helps to identify how often you should mist throughout the day.
Keeps the Iguana Fresh and Clean
Water is not only essential for iguanas to consume, but iguanas like a humid environment.
Younger iguanas must get used to bathing in a bathtub so while your iguana is still young, you should keep it in a bathtub for a few minutes and work its way up to 30 minutes baths as it gets bigger.
Additionally, keep the water shallow enough that it can always keep his head above the water when standing. Iguanas prefer warm baths without letting the water get too hot. If the iguana stays cold too long, the animal can get sick. To avoid this, put out some of the water and add the warmer water every 5 or so minutes to keep the temperature consistent. When placing an iguana in the bathtub, make sure the tub is completely empty to avoid the risk of the iguana getting hurt.
Additionally, any bar soap or bottles are put away and not stored on the ledge of the tub while the iguana is in it. Iguanas like to climb, and he could hit the bottle causing it to fall on himself.
The Importance of Food and Water
Food
Iguanas in the wild typically eat leaves, plants, and oftentimes fruit to stay hydrated. This is the ideal diet for a pet iguana. Iguana’s food can all be purchased from a local grocery store. Iguanas enjoy fruit in their diet as well. Fruits like apples, strawberries, and cantaloupe make for a well-balanced diet. Many pet stores sell commercialized iguana food that comes in the form of pellets. This can be purchased and provided to the iguana or used as a supplement to the vegetables and fruits.
Water
Water is also essential for an iguana. Always keep a small bowl of freshwater. Because some iguanas will defecate in the water, check the bowl of water consistently throughout the day to ensure it is clean. By keeping an eye on the bowl and refreshing it consistently, your iguana will not get dehydrated.
Creating the Proper Iguana Environment
Ideally, when you purchase a pet iguana, you want to make sure you have the proper set up for the animal so that it maintains a healthy and content life. Iguanas should be kept in cages not only to prevent them from roaming your home but also to protect the iguana from other pets that may reside in the home and keep the iguana from getting into dangerous areas.
A cage for an iguana may be much larger than what you would use for other reptiles as iguanas can grow up to 4 feet depending on the type of iguana you own. Your cage for the pet should be relative in size to the type of iguana you have purchased. Green iguanas, blue iguanas, and marine iguanas are the most common types of iguanas found in North American pet stores. By simply asking the pet store owner for information on what type of iguana you are purchasing is the best way to determine which type of iguana you are bringing home. The cage you provide for your iguana can be purchased or custom-built for your iguana’s needs.
If you live in a cooler climate, you may want to consider using the wood for the walls as this will help keep the cool air out of the cage. For warmer climates, you can cover the cage’s walls with the wire mesh to allow air to flow in and out freely.
Iguanas tend to want to watch their surroundings, so placed iguana’s cage away from vents and windows to avoid having the temperature in the cage to fluctuate so much.
Setting up the Iguana’s Habitat
Your goal should be to make your iguana feel like it is in their natural habitat. To do this, you need to recreate the scene. Now that the cage has been created for the iguana, you need to create a habitat for the iguana that will keep him happy and live a full life. The right decor can make your iguana feel both safe and active if done correctly. Iguanas enjoy climbing, so one of the first things you can add to its cage is a small shelf. This can be done by using a small piece of plastic. Chose a piece that was the exact same dimension as the cage’s width so you can slide it into the cage at a diagonal and it would hold itself in. This allows the iguana to climb up the ledge at its leisure and use the plastic piece as a ramp safely. Make sure to include plants within the iguana’s habitat. Not only does this make them feel more at home, but it also provides an opportunity for you to mist the environment. Iguana loves a humid environment, and if water droplet forms on the plants, they usually hydrate themselves by licking the plants.
Another option you can use is by placing a sturdy limb in the cage that allows the iguana to feel like it is in its natural environment. Not only do iguanas want to climb, but they also need a place where they can sleep and hide.
Iguanas are observant creatures that like to see what is going on around them, they also enjoy having a private area when they feel threatened. Using a small tunnel, you can place it in the cage to allow your iguana a safe place to retreat to when warranted.
These tunnels can be purchased at pet stores and are often seen in fish aquariums. While food and water are essential to all living things, iguanas have special requirements when it comes to their needs.
What Type of Iguana? While there are about 35 different types of iguanas, the blue iguana, green iguana, and marine iguana are the most common types of iguanas. Green iguanas are easily seen out in the wild, while blue iguanas carry a light blue hue and typically only seen in certain parts of the country.
Can Iguanas Swim? Iguanas enjoy the warm climate and love a good swim. Therefore, you can often find iguanas in and around streams and rivers. While iguanas prefer warmer climates, iguanas can go into hibernation when temperatures drop past a certain point. The muscles in the animal constrict causing the animal to paralyze into hibernation.
