Green Iguanas 101

Name: Green Iguana

Personality: In the wild, the green iguana is social, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. However, males can be territorial and aggressive, making it difficult to keep them in social groups in captivity.

Care: In addition to specific housing requirements (including the enclosure, heating, lighting and humidity), you'll need to trim your iguana's nails regularly, bathe them occasionally and monitor their poop and appearance, says the Iguana Pages.

Common Health Issues: According to ReptileChannel.com, green iguanas can live up to 20 years or so in captivity with proper care, though it's more common for them to live closer to nine or 10 years. Green iguanas are susceptible to parasites (both internal and external), tail loss (not serious -- it's designed to break off, but you still should never grab it), burns (if an improper heat or light source is used), nose abrasions (from repeatedly trying to get out of the enclosure) and other wounds and abscesses from being active, reports The Iguana Pages.

The same source lists common health issues as bladder stones, egg binding, mites, burns and

Training Tips: If your green iguana isn't properly tamed and trained, it can be aggressive and very dangerous, says the Green Iguana Society. The source outlines a number of steps in making your lizard comfortable and stress-free -- both very important when training it to be handled. With patience and consistency, you should be able to train your iguana to be handled and even give it some freedom outside its enclosure!


Best Animal/Owner Match: The ideal green iguana owner is someone who is prepared to do plenty of research and invest plenty of time and money into keeping their pet happy and healthy. This is not the right pet for anyone who is less than 100 percent committed to caring for what will grow to be a large (3-6 feet) and high maintenance pet, according to Melissa Kaplan's Green Iguana Care Collection.

Green Iguana Owners Say: Gloria Lenon of Chuckey, Tennessee, tells Paw Nation that she is "owned by two elderly female iguanas," Jazzy, 18, and Belmont the Punk, 14 years old. "I talk to them, sing to them, bathe them everyday," she says. "They know my voice and don't want anyone else taking care of them. I love holding them against me and they snuggle into my neck and lick me!"

Tags: green iguana, GreenIguana, iguana, lizard, small pets, SmallPets