Iguana Facts

Some Important Iguana Facts

• Iguana facts tell us the iguana originated in Central and South America.

• An iguana should have an enclosure two to three times his size.

• Iguanas are 7-12 inches at birth, but by the time they are four years old they will be four to seven feet long.

• Iguanas in captivity need special lights and heating.

• Iguanas get most of their water from their food.

• Iguanas in captivity should be fed dark, leafy greens.

• The green iguana has three eyes.

• One of the more interesting iguana facts is that its tail is made to fall off when pulled by a predator, confusing the predator and giving the iguana time to escape. The tail will grow back.

• Iguanas are not nocturnal. They are awake at sunrise and are asleep again by sunset.

• In the wild, an iguana spends his day in search of food.

• Iguanas spend most of their time in trees.

• Female iguanas lay their eggs in burrows and never return. The babies are on their own from birth.

• In some countries, such as Belize, iguanas are eaten for food.

• One of the hard to believe but true iguana facts is that they can fall up to fifty feet from a tree without injury.

• Iguanas are herbivores. Their diet consists only of plants. Never feed animal products to an iguana.

• The iguana is becoming the favorite reptile pet in the United States.

• Iguanas are considered to be exotic pets.

• Iguanas kept as pets need to have a special reptile vet.

• An adult iguana needs an enclosure that is at least 10 feet long and 8 feet high.

• Male iguanas have a dewlap under their chins that swells to make them look bigger than they really are when confronted by a predator. This dewlap is also raised when a breeding male is showing off for a female.

• An iguana can have 50 to 100 eggs in a hatching.

• Hawks are among an iguana’s predators.

• Florida, Texas, and Hawaii are U.S. states with feral iguana populations.

• An iguana’s mood is described by his posture.

• Iguanas are expensive pets to keep.

• An iguana needs a basking area that is 95 to 100 degrees.

• The day temperature for an iguana must be 80 to 90 degrees.

• Iguanas who get too cold become lethargic and unable to move.

• The green iguana is not always green. They can be more grayish or brownish-green. They can also be black, red, orange and other colors because of selective breeding.

• Iguanas have rough and tough skin to protect them from cuts, scratches and abrasions.

• Iguanas can live from fifteen to twenty-five years.

• Costa Rica uses an iguana in its ads to attract tourists.

• Blue iguanas are almost extinct and are being helped by an organization in the Cayman Islands.