Interesting Facts About the Green Iguana

Green iguanas, also known as igs or igges, are growing in popularity as pets. More than one million iguanas enter the United States each year. They come form the tropical parts of the world such as the rain forest.

Iguanas, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded, meaning they get heat from the environment. They need direct heat from the sun or indirect heat, such as from basking on warm surfaces (rocks, tree limbs) to stay alive.

They are vegetarians or more specifically they are reptilian cows. This means they eat mostly the leaves of plants. On occasion they will eat the flowers, stems, or fruit on the plant, but not often.

Iguanas are about ten inches long when hatched. Because young iguanas have more enemies than adults, they will grow quickly. By age two they can be three feet long (tip of nose to tip of tail). By three or four years old they can be five feet long. When fully grown the male can measure over six feet long, and weigh thirteen pounds. More than two-thirds of the length of an iguana is its tail.

Young iguana are hunted and eaten by birds, snakes, raccoons, ocelots, and monkeys. Adults will be eaten by crocodiles, boas, and jaguars. Some animals will dig up the nests and eat the eggs before they even have a chance to hatch.

Iguanas are diurnal lizards which means they are active during the daylight hours rather than at night. They are also arboreal, meaning they live in trees. Their sharp claws make them excellent climbers and enable them to cling to tree branches. They are also excellent swimmers, which is a trait they use to escape from their predators. They will bask on tree limbs that hang over water. If they feel the least bit threatened, they will drop down into the water and swim away.

They have salmonella bacteria in their digestive system to help them digest their food. When they excrete waste material, a small amount of salmonella bacteria is in the waste. Iguanas may crawl around in their waste getting salmonella on their feet and body. To ensure that this salmonella isn't passed on to humans, anyone who handles iguanas must wash their hands thoroughly after handling them.