The term iguana is usually used to refer to all types of the members of the lizard family branded as the Iguanidae. As a general knowledge, the iguanas possess powerful but short limbs added up with their sharp claws. These claws are utilized for digging and climbing.

Yes, they do love to climb that is why a set of branches for climbing must be set up in their tanks. The strong tails are used for their defense mechanism. They whip it in the air especially when a predator corners them. Their tails are likewise used for swimming.

The dewlap is a huge flap of skin that is contained on the sides of the body particularly in the areas of the throat of a male iguana is used to either intimidate a predator around or to impress another female iguana. The dewlap also functions in the regulation of their body temperature.

Furthermore, the iguanas also contain some crest of very soft spines that lineup the middle part of their backs and necks. Relatively, the male iguanas have longer spines in contrast with the female iguanas. By means of size, the male iguanas appear to be bigger. They have bigger heads and brighter body colors compared with the females. The body of the male iguana is much distinct during the time of the breeding season.

Physically, both the male and the female iguanas contain twelve up to thirteen pores underneath the sides of their thighs. The pores are the ones which secrete the waxy substance which they use in marking their territories and identifying each of them. When the male iguanas mature, their own femoral pores come to develop some outward projections which they tend to use in the copulation strategy to take a grasp of the female iguana.

The skin of the iguana is filled with very minute scales. They are unable to change their skin colors just like the deed of the chameleons but when they get exposed to light, some parts of their skin become darker in color. The young iguanas appear to be colored in pale green alongside with black ringed tails. As they grow mature, their colors turn out to be more earthly which are usually darker especially in their bodies and tails. Back in their natural habitats, the iguanas appear to be wary since they always feel that danger is beside them. They could always be spotted running and hiding.

They make full use of their accurate vision, keen sense of hearing and smell so that they could better ensure their own survival. They may appear to be clumsy at times but then the iguanas are great swimmers and tree climbers. They usually bask in the morning atop the trees and they can jump into the water anytime they sense danger.

Mating for the iguanas occur in the months of January to February. The female iguana tend to get pregnant for two months and then by the time laying the eggs come, the female iguana digs in the soil or sand to deposit the eggs which range from 25 to 40 eggs. After two weeks, the hatch lings are ready to come out into the world.

The iguanas could be great pets provided that you know how to take care of them. They are inherently high maintenance. But then everything will pay off if you just learn how to care for your pet properly.

Iguanas: The Different and the Similar

Green iguanas are the ones you usually bring home to take care and pamper. What you may not know is that there are different types of iguanas out there. Oftentimes, you will see these other types not in pet stores but in the forests where they live.

There are actually six types of iguanas.

These are the:

1. Dipsosaurus, the desert iguana.
2. Ctenosaura, the spiny-tailed iguana.
3. Lemanctus, casque-headed iguana.
4. Corytophanes, the helmeted iguana.
5. Cyclura, the rhinoceros and rock iguana.
5. Chalarodon, the Madagascar iguana.
6. Green iguana.

The famous iguana that is fast becoming a part of most households is the green iguana. These iguanas may be of different types and appearances but they all have similarities terms of diet, habits and size.

1. Herbivores iguanas.

The description of herbivores is the kind that eats only plant or plant matters. It can be noted that there are not many reptiles that can live on plant food alone. This is what makes iguanas unique from them. This may be the reason why people want these reptiles for their pet. Feeding them is not as hard as any other animals.

Being herbivores does not mean that you can just pick any plant out there to feed your iguana. If you want to maintain its health, consider giving them nutritious green and leafy vegetables. Try lettuce. You can give it to them regularly. If you do not have an abundance of vegetables to supply, consider other alternative sources of leafy plants.

2. Tropical temperature.

Iguanas are used to having tropical climates all year round. That is why you will not be able to find an iguana habitat in places where there are shifts of hot and cold climates.

This is one thing that you should consider once you have decided to have a pet iguana. You are required to monitor the temperature around your house or in shelter that you have provided for them.

Iguanas need constant heat to maintain their body temperature. Many iguana owners have realized that there is an increase in the usage of their electric heaters or gas once they have an iguana in their household.

So if you are located in locations where there is a winter season, make sure that your heater works. If you do not have one reliable source of heat, then it is a wise idea not to consider getting an iguana.

3. Tamed iguana.

Your pet iguana will not get tamed on its own. As the owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you tame your iguana well so that they will be able to socialize well with you and with others.

A tamed iguana will be able to roam around your house without moving or eating on anything that arouses its curiosity. You can also take them outdoors or in events outside of your home. You also have the ability to caress, hold and cuddle your iguana once you are assured that it will not harm you when you do so.

4. Iguanas grow big.

You might be misled into thinking that your iguana will remain small and tiny all throughout its life cycle. This is a misconception.

All types of iguanas will grow its full size once they are taken properly care of. In 3 to 4 years time, expect your iguana to be five to six feet long.

Because turtles hibernate during winter months, they are looking to hide at this period. The best way is to keep them outside during this time of year and they will find a way to hibernate. Keep in mind that a turtle that does not hibernate is known to develop liver diseases.

So if you keep your turtle outside in order to respect its natural cycle try to keep children away from the turtle hideout so they won’t be tempted to dig it out. Be aware that if your turtle hibernates, you won’t see it again until late spring.

Some people use refrigerators to try to recreate an environment for ideal hibernation. This option is not recommended as a refrigerator can be victim of a power failure and a sudden increase in temperature could interrupt the turtle’s hibernation and even be fatal to the pet. So as a general rule, if you plan on keeping your turtle inside, don’t let it hibernate.

If you really decide to keep the turtle indoors, you need a tank of at least forty gallon capacity, with clearly demarcated areas for land and water. Sixty six percent of the aquarium should be water and one-third should be land because you need a place where they can lay in the heat of a lamp.

The most ideal temperature of the aquarium is about eighty degrees during the day and seventy degrees during the night. Because they are cold-blooded animals, they would need more time to acclimatize themselves to temperature fluctuations and so it is not a good idea to take them out of their environment to show them around as the difference of temperature could affect their immune system.

Some turtles carry salmonella so be sure to clean your hands after handling them, but, their environment also needs to be kept clean too. You might have to think about a water purification system to clean the water and keep it clean. It is not a good thing to fill up the tank with tap water, which may contain chlorine, and fluoride and therefore could harm the pH balance. Use filtered water for drinking needs and de-chlorinated water for their swimming needs.

Various types of food for your pet turtle are available commercially, but the food needs depend basically on the species, however they must never be fed more than two or three times a week. Do not put any wood chips or tree bark in your tank because if a turtle ingests this, it can cause health issues plus it will also contaminate the water very quickly and cause molds or fungus to grow.

Don’t forget turtles need twelve hours of sunlight, so if you are keeping your pet indoors, you have to put up a UV lamp to provide the Vitamin D3 turtles need. This is why you see these creatures basking in the sun for hours, so when inside keep the tank at a place where there is not much temperature variation and some shady area for them to relax.

You could either make them with wood and stones or buy them from pet stores, but if you want to keep plants in the tank, make sure that they are safe for the turtles. Try to pay careful attention to your turtle’s behavior to keep it happy and it will provide lots of enjoyment for your whole family.

Lack of sunlight can make people depressed. This condition is referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is most likely to occur in the winter when people spend a lot of time indoors due to the cold and other adverse weather conditions.

A particular type of lighting is effective in treating these patients, this light is much the same as sunlight and it helps by simply exposing the patient to it.

Your pet will suffer also if not given the proper amount of exposure to light. They cannot talk to us but they show by their actions that they are depressed. They may become lazy or show less interest in food. They may also display serious conditions such as kidney problems, metabolic bone disease, or rickets. If you give your pet the right type of lighting their health will improve, they will remain active, eat well, and even increase their breeding tendencies.

Heat and light go together if you have a reptile pet, they need heat and light to thrive. Most lights produce heat, some produce more than others do. You may have seen heat light bulbs in stores or noticed the lights that keep the food warm in restaurants, even a common light bulb puts off a certain amount of heat.

In years past, it was thought that providing heat for a pet reptile was sufficient. Now we know that not only do reptiles need a specific level of heat and humidity that closely mimics their natural habitat, they also need specific types of light. Of course, the optimal light for your pet reptile would be the natural sunlight of its natural habitat. It is unlikely that the natural sunlight at your location would be an exact match, and it is usually impractical to house your reptile outside.

Proper lighting is important to your pets ability to use vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D work together to build bone and maintain them as well as forming healthy nerve cells for sending messages. Your pet as well as humans are in danger of osteoporosis if their bodies have a shortage of calcium. The nervous system can also fail and death can occur.

Reptiles from the food they eat absorb Vitamin D, or if they have light the precursors are converted into vitamin D in the skin, the same way it works in humans. The only way the skin produces vitamin D is if it is with exposure to ultraviolet light, this must be of the B type, or UVB.

When choosing a light for your pet reptile, make sure to choose a light that provides UVB light. Ideally, 5% of the light will be from the UVB spectrum if you keep pet reptiles that are active during the day (diurnal). If your pet is active mostly at night (nocturnal), it may not need exposure to UVB light at all.

Ensure your reptile has a place to hide from the light as well as the heat. The reptile knows when it needs to go somewhere cool and dark so it is important to provide this for the health of your pet as well. Their instincts will prevent them from staying in the heat and light too long if they have a place to retreat.