The Green Iguana Manual E-Book

Philippe de Vosjoli

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 122

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2003

Beschreibung

It's hard to resist a friendly dinosaur, and the green iguana's enormous popularity rests on that amusing truism. This large lizard presents few difficulties and for keepers and can live for a couple of decades. One of the authors' purposes of The Green Iguana Manual is to promote responsible ownership for this noble lizard that can grow to be the size of a medium size dog with an unusually long, leathery tail! The Green Iguana Manual takes a close look at the characteristics of this species that have made these attractive lizards so amazingly popular in the pet world as well as their lifelong requirements. Author and herp expert Philippe de Vosjoli is joined by iguana specialists Dr. Roger Klingenberg, Dr. Susan Donoghue, and David Blair, who each contribute special chapters to this up-to-date and authoritative guide. This colorfully illustrated guide provides excellent general guidelines for keepers who wish to add a green iguana to their vivarium and maintain their "prehistoric" pet in excellent health and condition. The authors provide an introduction to basic iguana characteristics including distribution, size, longevity, and varieties and morphs, to help beginners better understand the anatomy and behavior of these fascinating lizards. This Advanced Vivarium Systems title includes information about selecting a healthy green iguana, handling, housing needs, breeding, and life stages. Dr. Donoghue provides the chapter "Diet and Feeding Management," which discusses food sources, supplementation, and feeding guidelines for green iguanas of all ages. Dr. Klingenberg provides the chapter on diseases and disorders, which covers nutritional and metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, reproductive disorders, parasites, and environmental issues. The chapter concludes with a very useful five-page troubleshooting chart for common disorders. The book also discusses the iguanas of the West Indies (chapter by Blair) as well as seven other iguanid lizards, such as the spiny-tailed iguana, Fiji Island iguana, and chuckwallas.

Leseprobe

Preface

This book is an expanded and revised edition of The General Care and Maintenance of Green Iguanas, initially published in 1990. Some of the information presented here is significantly different than that provided in the first version. Herpetoculture is a rapidly changing field and all of us, the author included, learn as research and personal experience yield updated information. Hundreds of hours of writing, research, and interviews went into this book. Friends and fellow herpetoculturists also contributed invaluable material and many outstanding photographs. Hopefully, this manual will enrich the lives of our green companions as much as they have enriched our own.

Kristin Mehus-Roe, editor, project manager

Nick Clemente, special consultant

Jarad Krywicki, contributing editor

Designed by Michael Vincent Capozzi

All photos by Philippe de Vosjoli except where otherwise indicated Rachel Rice, indexer

Copyright ©1992, 1998, 2003 by Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc.®

Third edition, revised and updated

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or any information and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

LCCN: 96-183295

eISBN: 978-1-62008-029-0

Cover photography by David Northcott

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A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™

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The photographs in this book are courtesy of: Chris Estep, pp. 6, 14, 23, 68; David Travis, pp. 7, 9, 17, 25, 46, 47; David Blair, pp. 11, 19, 48, 90, 92, 94; John Tashjian, pp. 12, 88 bottom, 89 top courtesy of San Diego Zoo; Glen Carlzen, pp. 16, 81, 88 top; Roger Klingenberg, pp. 71, 75, 78, 79, 82; Jim Dougherty, pp. 89 bottom. Photo by Chris Estep and Wendell Leopard, pp. 50. Photo by Chris Estep, courtesy of Jeff Jenkins, Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital of San Diego, pp. 77. The illustrations in this book are courtesy of: Kevin Anderson, pp. 31, 34, 36, 37.

CONTENTS

Introduction

1: Meet the Green Iguana

2: Selecting Your Iguana

3: Quarantine and Acclimation

4: Iguanas as Pets

5: The Life Stages of Green Iguanas

6: Housing and General Maintenance

7: Heating and Humidity

8: Grooming

9: Breeding

10: Diet and Feeding Management

11: Diseases and Disorders

12: Other Iguanas

13: Iguanas of the West Indies

Appendices

References

INTRODUCTION

Green iguanas are among the most popular reptile pets. Hailing from tropical America, their dinosaur like appearance, large size, ease of maintenance, and pleasant disposition have justifiably contributed to their popularity.

Over the last two decades, across a significant portion of their range, populations of wild green iguanas have declined because of habitat destruction. In their native countries they have also been hunted for food and leather. Most of the green iguanas supplied to the pet trade are now produced on ranches or farms in Colombia, El Salvador, and other Latin American countries, and offered primarily as juveniles. These farmed iguanas are generally healthier than the wild-caught animals imported in the past. Because of their young age they are very adaptable to captive conditions. As a result of improved quality of imports and the reptile-care information currently available to the public, many juvenile iguanas now reach adulthood in captivity in the United States (probably a higher percentage than in the wild). One consequence of this success at captive rearing is “the green iguana problem.” When faced with the requirements of their grown-up green iguanas, increasing numbers of owners are choosing to get rid of them, following a trend that is widespread with dogs and cats. Thousands of green iguanas are abandoned by their owners every year, and increasing numbers of large green iguanas in various states of health are brought to animal shelters and rescue organizations. This trend hurts the reputation of reptile hobbyists.

Animal control issues and health issues related to irresponsible pet care provide fuel for organizations that are against keeping reptiles as pets. As reptile owners, it is critical that we act responsibly and consider the long-term consequences of our choices and actions. Remember, before buying that little green iguana whose entire body fits in your hand, it will eventually grow as large as a medium-sized dog with a comparable body length and potentially longer life span. An adult green iguana requires a closet- or room-sized enclosure. If space is a limiting factor, there are many other reptiles available in the pet trade that remain at a more manageable size.

That said, in the right home and under the proper conditions, a green iguana is one of the finest reptile pets available in terms of both their appearance and their level of responsiveness.

This book was written with the goal of providing new and prospective owners with the most updated information on responsible green iguana care. It also aims to help pet owners establish a positive rapport with these wonderful animals.

A dinosaurlike appearance and keen reptilian intelligence have made the green iguana one of the most popular reptile pets.

CHAPTER 1

MEET THE GREEN IGUANA

General Information

Green iguanas are large, semi-arboreal to arboreal (tree dwelling) lizards of the primarily New World (Americas) family Iguanidae. Green iguanas have comparatively long tails (up to three times the body length), a feature of many arboreal lizards, and a permanent dewlap (gular crest located beneath the throat). The species iguana has one or more enlarged scales beneath the tympanum (ear drum) and enlarged nuchal (neck) and dorsal (back) crests. Both males and females have a single row of femoral pores on the underside of the thighs.

The name “iguana” is a Spanish version of the Carib word iwana. There are two species of green iguanas, Iguana iguana, the green iguana of the pet trade, and Iguana delicatissima (the West Indian iguana) from the Lesser Antilles, which is characterized by the lack of an enlarged scale beneath the tympanum. At one time, Iguana iguana was divided into two subspecies, iguana and rhinolopha. The rhinolopha subspecies was considered to be primarily Central American and characterized by the enlargement and alignment of median scales above the snout. However, the rhinolopha subspecies is not presently recognized as valid because there are inconsistencies of these characteristics within given populations and geographical areas. Nonetheless, many of the iguanas from Honduras, as well as the occasional Mexican iguanas that manage to enter the market, develop the tiny horn-like projection(s) once attributed to the rhinolopha subspecies.

This female green iguana is unusually attractive.

All Iguana species are classified as C.I.T.E.S. (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix II animals, which categorizes them as threatened and requires export permits for transport between countries. C.I.T.E.S. is a multinational agreement, wherein participating nations agree to cooperate in the worldwide conservation of rare and vulnerable plant and animal species. Species listed under Appendix I by C.I.T.E.S. are considered threatened with extinction. International trade of these species is not allowed, although exceptions are made for animals proven to be captive produced. Appendix II listed animals are species that are not currently threatened with extinction but which may become so if international trade is not regulated. Appendix I lists three iguanas: rock iguanas (Cyclura sp.), Fiji Island iguanas (Brachylophus sp.), and San Esteban Island chuckwallas, (Sauromalus varius). Under Appendix II, there are an additional three: Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus sp.), and green iguanas (Iguana sp.).

Green iguanas vary significantly in appearance depending on their origin. This blue specimen is unusual in both its coloration and its fleshy dorsal crest.

Distribution

The green iguana occurs from Mexico to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and in the Lesser Antilles. It has been introduced in several areas, including Hawaii and south Florida. Iguana delicatissima occurs in the Lesser Antilles, where it is becoming threatened in many areas as a result of exploitation, habitat destruction, and displacement by introduced green iguana populations.

Size

There is considerable variation in the potential adult size of green iguanas, depending on country of origin and the conditions under which they are maintained. As a rule, adult iguanas achieve a length of 4 to 5 feet with occasional specimens reaching a length of 6 feet. Males of some South American populations can reach a length of nearly 7 feet and weigh up to 18 pounds.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics

Several books claim that green iguanas are sexually dimorphic and can be distinguished visually, but the truth is that differences between the sexes are often subtle and only become obvious in older, sexually mature animals. Some of the broad criteria for distinguishing between sexes include: males grow larger than females; males are not as heavy bodied as females; males develop larger nuchal and dorsal crests than females; males have larger scales beneath the tympanum than females; and, one of the most evident characteristics of older animals, males develop larger, broader jowls than females. Nearly all of these characteristics become more obvious as an animal matures, but they are by no means reliable when dealing with young adult animals. Females from some populations develop dorsal crests as large as males of other populations, or have enlarged scales beneath the tympanum as large as those of males.

There are two secondary sexual characteristics that are consistently reliable as animals mature. In animals at least two years old, males’ femoral pores, openings in specialized scales that form secretions that may serve the purpose of scent-marking the environment, are significantly enlarged compared to the females’ and produce femoral pore secretions that resemble enlarged scales. Females have reduced pores. Older males also develop broad, enlarged jowls; their presence removes any doubt as to the iguana’s sex.

This male captive-raised Peruvian iguana is eight months old.

In addition to the physical differences, behaviors offer some of the best clues for distinguishing between the sexes. As males become sexually mature they perform frequent head jerking displays (a series of rigid up and down bobs of the head), often followed by a series of short up-down bobs while the head moves from side to side. These displays are eventually performed regularly whenever any iguanas are introduced into the enclosure. Males will also attempt to mount females.

Females rarely demonstrate rigid head jerks, although they often display the series of lateral head bobs. Ultimately, males will mate with females and healthy captive-raised females will lay eggs. These final behaviors will clear up any doubt as to the sex of your iguanas.

Once they are about 2.5 feet long, male iguanas can be sexed by manually everting the hemipenes.

Growth

Within three years a baby iguana grows from a half-ounce hatchling to a 2.5-pound adult—a hundredfold increase in weight. In time, large adults can reach a weight of 10 to 15 pounds, and some South American male iguanas are said to reach 18 pounds. To achieve this degree of growth requires large amounts of food, effective digestion, and enough calcium to build skeletal tissue.

Hatchling iguanas have total lengths (body plus tail) of 7 to 10 inches. By six and a half months, a hatchling iguana fed on a high-quality diet doubles its length, and by about the fifteenth month it triples its original length, reaching a total length of 2 feet to 2.5 feet.

The snout-to-vent length (length of head plus body) of hatchlings ranges from 2.8 to 3.5 inches. In one year it can increase to 8.8 inches and by three years the snout-to-vent length of the mature adults usually exceeds 13.2 inches. The total length of iguanas equals roughly three to three and a half times the snout-to-vent length. Thus, three-year-old iguanas are usually between 3 and 3.5 feet long.

This rapid growth rate means you need to provide an adequate diet that contains enough calcium for the rapidly growing skeleton. It also means providing adequate temperature for effective digestion and, ultimately, a vivarium large enough to accommodate a large reptile. It will quickly become obvious why a minimum 36-inch-long vivarium is recommended for a hatchling iguana.

Green iguanas as large as this 6-foot male are quite rare in captivity.

Green iguanas can reach sexual maturity by two years of age, although the first breeding in captivity often doesn’t occur until the third year.

Longevity

With proper care, a green iguana can live ten to fifteen years. Males may live in excess of twenty years. There is one record of a male living almost twenty years and several claims of males reaching twenty-two to twenty-five years.

Varieties and Morphs

The green iguana has a very broad distribution, extending from North America to South America. Depending on a variety of economic, political, and legislative factors, several varieties of iguanas become available to U.S. hobbyists over the course of a year. Depending on the country of origin or locality (particularly insular varieties or island populations), green iguanas vary significantly in color, pattern, length-to-height ratio of the head, crest size, and adult length. These variations are of considerable interest to serious hobbyists and efforts should be made to maintain and captive-breed pure gene pools with these geographical variants. Several of the known variants are presented in this book.

In addition, there are occasional morphs or mutations that hatch in iguana farms or are collected. Unfortunately, many of these odd-colored or patterned iguanas have genetic problems that prevent them from surviving or growing into normal-sized adults. Unusual blue iguanas are occasionally seen among hatchling imports, as are iguanas with increased orange, red, or rose pink coloration. There are also several albino green iguanas in the United States. Captive-bred albinos will probably be available in the future.

This young green iguana is from Aruba Island.

Before You Buy a Green Iguana

There are other factors that limit the pet potential of green iguanas. Once sexually mature, some males become aggressive, particularly during the breeding season. Owners need to recognize changes in behavior and take precautions to prevent accidents. In addition, a significant percentage of green iguanas harbor Salmonella and can present a health risk to owners and family members if proper hygiene procedures are not followed. If you have the time and space (in cold areas, a minimum 6-foot by 4-foot area is required indoors) and if you can enforce strict hygiene procedures among family members, few large reptiles can match the appeal, dragonlike appearance, and personality of a green iguana. To help you make a decision, talk to other green iguana owners and visit with an adult green iguana at a pet store or animal shelter.