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GREEN IGUANAS ARE HERBIVORES
In their natural habitat, the green iguana's diet is made up of about 70% leaves, 10-15% flowers, and the rest is soft fruit. Recent studies have shown that the green iguana is completely herbivorous throughout it's entire life. In spite of this information there still exists today the misconception that it is necessary to feed them bugs and animal protein.
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WHY SHOULDN'T I FEED BUGS OR ANIMAL PROTEIN TO MY IGUANA?
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Iguanas have a special organ called the "hind gut", which is located between the small and large intestine. Similar to ruminants in the mammal world, this organ houses beneficial bacteria, or "micro flora" that breaks down the cellulose in plants. This fermentation process extracts 30-40% of the plants nutrients for absorption in the body to use for metabolism and growth. This type of digestive system is unique to herbivouous animals, including lizards.
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For optimal health, the blood chemistry should be a 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus. This means that the nutritional makeup of the food the iguana eats should be two parts of Calcium to one part of Phosphorus. The chemical make up of crickets, for example, is about 1:30. This is an extremely high amount of Phosphorus and very taxing to the kidneys. After about 4-6 years of a diet that contains bugs and/or animal protein, the kidneys start failing from trying to filter out all that Phosphorus. Even before that happens, the iguana will suffer from a host of diet-related maladies, commonly referred to as "Metabolic Bone Disease".
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These health problems are completely avoidable with the proper husbandry, including diet. For that matter, there are certain vegetables and fruits that are high in Phosphorus and should be avoided altogether. Corn has a high Phosphorus content. Yet most commercial iguana foods are corn based. This is why it is so important to feed your iguana fresh, dark leafy greens and finely chopped vegetables.
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SO WHAT DO I FEED MY IGUANA?
Dark, leafy greens such as Collard, Turnip and Mustard greens have some of the best Ca:P ratios to use for the base of your iguana's diet. These can be found in major supermarkets, in most areas. Dandelion greens are an excellent food and can be harvested from your yard, IF it isn't sprayed with a pesticide/herbicide. Romaine lettuce is a popular choice, but not really the best one. It doesn't pack as much a nutritional punch as the darker greens. It can be used to add in, if you're low on the cooking greens. Iceberg lettuce is only good for stuffing tacos, and should not be used. Other greens like arugula, bagged greens like "Spring Mix", "Herb Mix", or "Field Greens" can be used as occasional filler.
Green iguanas do not pre-digest their food with saliva like we do. But to add more nutrients to the diet, we "pre-digest" hard vegetables by processing them in a blender, or food processor until finely chopped.
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HARD VEGETABLES THAT CAN BE PROCESSED
GREEN PEPPERS
GREEN BEANS
WAX BEANS
SNOW PEAS
PEA PODS
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OTHER VEGETABLES THAT CAN BE SHREDDED:
PARSNIPS
WINTER SQUASH SUCH AS: ACORN; BUTTERNUT
ZUCCHINI
YELLOW CROOKNECK
CARROTS
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FLOWERS
Iguanas love flowers! Be very careful when feeding flowers. If you buy from a florist, the flowers have been sprayed. It usually takes about 3-6 months for the chemicals to flush from the plant. Dandelion flowers are another favorite, and the same warning applies. Nasturtiums are also relished. If you can grow them organically, your iguana will love you for it!
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FRUIT
Fruit should comprise no more than 10% of the daily diet. Because they are the lowest in Phosphorus, Mangos and Blueberries are the best choices.
Other fruits your iguana will enjoy are:
Strawberries
Kiwi
Banana
Grapes
Chop the fruit into small pieces or put in the blender with the veggies.
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COOKING GREENS TEND TO BE SANDY. THOROUGHLY RINSE WITH CLEAN WATER
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| Slice and chop greens into small pieces. |
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| Cut veggies into small pieces and process. |
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| Use a grater to shred hard squash. |
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| Add processed veggies to greens and mix together. |
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Feed your iguana every day. Hatchlings will eat a lot as they are constantly growing! Start out with half a cup each day. If your iguana eats up everything and licks the plate clean, give it a little more every day, until all the food is eaten. When it starts to leave a little on the plate, make a note of how much was fed.
Adults will usually eat about two cups a day, but it depends on the iguana. Larger iguanas, of course, will eat more.
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