| general
|
| description |
They are predominantly
black but the dorsal surface may show black bands on a
greyish background. Most have black mottling on their
backs. The color may also ligthen after basking in the
sunlight with yellowish and orange markings becoming evident
along the sides. |
| distribution |
Central America, including Mexico and islands adjacent
to Panama |
| adult
size |
approx. 36
inches
weight 1 kg on average |
| life
span |
when food
is often scarce and predators such as hawks and owls are
dangers, they can live more than 60 years |
| housing |
| natural
habitats |
Arboreal, stone walls,
rocky open slopes and branches of large trees along the
open borders of the forests |
| cage |
It should be tall instead
of wide for Arboreal reptiles. (e.g. Wooden
Terrarium, Glass
Terrarium) |
| branch |
As it is Arboreal, a lot
of branches are needed to climb and stay on (e.g. Habba
Tree , Sand-Blasted
Grapevine) |
| substrate |
Soil, moss (e.g. Forest
Bed , Forest Moss),
barks (e.g. Repti Bark,
Coconut Bark) |
| activity
period |
Daytime (diurnal);
12 - 14 hours each day with direct natural sunlight or
UV lamp (e.g. ReptiSun 5.0,
UV Heat Bulb) |
| temperature |
32 - 38 ¢XC -- basking
spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
28 - 32 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
23 - 26 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter) |
| humidity |
Low ; but
for juvenile need to spray water all over its body and
the surroundings 1 or 2 times a day |
| water
bowl |
a large water
bowl (e.g. Rock water
dish) can exist for soaking and drinking |
| hiding
place |
Necessary,
since juvenile iguanas often emerge together from the
nest-hole |
| diet |
| diet |
Herbivorous (plant-eating);
particularly on legume fruits, but is also known to have
a diverse carnivorous diet that consist of small animals
such as rodents, bats, frogs, small birds, and a variety
of insects |
| how
often to feed? |
Every day for hatchlings;
4 - 5 times a week for juveniles;
3 - 4 times a week for adults |
| reproduction |
| reproduction
|
Oviparous; After digging
a burrow about half a meter deep, the female lays approx
25 eggs in the nest. She then defends the burrow for some
time to prevent other females from nesting in the same
spot. The young iguanas hatch 3 to 4 months later and
then take about a week to dig their way out of the nest.
|
