Green Iguana

Housing the Green Iguana

A full-grown green iguana at six feet long needs more room than it does when it is young and only one foot long. They grow quickly, so plan to construct an enclosure that is 8 feet long, 8 feet tall, and 4 feet wide, at a minimum.

If you can't let your iguana have its own bedroom in the house, you have two options: build your own custom iguana cage or purchase an expensive custom-built enclosure. You must provide many hefty branches and perches to safely climb on, along with regular bathing opportunities and environmental elements. Green iguanas also require specific heating and lighting elements.

Size

There is a great deal of variation in the potential adult size of green iguanas, depending on the country they came from and the conditions in which they were kept. Adult iguanas will typically reach a length of between 4 and 5 feet, with some reaching up to 6 feet in length.
Some South American male iguanas have reached a length of nearly 7 feet and can weigh up to 18 pounds. It is extremely rare to find a green iguana over six feet long in captivity.

Lifespan

Green iguanas are long-lived creatures, with the average lifespan of a green iguana reaching ten to fifteen years. Some male green iguanas can even live for over twenty years, with the record-holder reaching twenty-two to twenty-five years old.

Appearance

Green iguanas can vary greatly in their appearance and markings. Their country of origin and the environment in which they were raised determine much of how they look. Generally speaking, green iguanas have very long tails, up to three times their body length. They also have permanent dewlaps, the turkey-like crest that hangs from their throat. Males always have larger dewlaps than female specimens.

Pet Care

Green iguanas are not suitable pets due to a few factors. Once they reach sexual maturity, males in particular become quite aggressive. Additionally, green iguanas can harbor Salmonella, which presents health risks to the animal’s owners and family members if proper hygiene is not followed. Most importantly, they require a great deal of care and can be challenging to handle due to their size and weapons—their nails, tail, and mouth.

Choosing Your Green Iguana

It is important to choose your green iguana wisely. Many outdated online articles and books contain incorrect information about their care, diet, and environmental requirements. It is best to rely on the expertise of scientific websites and the many iguana rescue organizations to learn about how to adopt an animal that is already in need of a home.

In some sensitive ecosystems, such as the state of Hawaii, iguana ownership is prohibited. These exotic pets have no natural predators on the island, so they are potentially hazardous to plant populations and to the insect and bird life the plants support. The state of Hawaii strictly prohibits the import and possession of these tree-dwelling giants due to the possible future impact from iguanas that have been set free by the owner after having grown too big for their owners to handle. Violators will serve three years in jail and be fined up to $200,000.

In New York City, ownership of these exotic lizards has been banned since 1999 due to concerns for public safety. They have been classified as wild, ferocious, fierce, dangerous, and naturally inclined to do harm to humans. The city's dense human population makes it inevitable that there will be unanticipated and unwanted human encounters associated with inadvertent enclosure escapes.