Written by previous editor: Christina Borders

Proper diet and supplementation is a very important part of keeping your ig happy and healthy. Here’s a rundown on dietary suggestions for the green iguana (Iguana iguana).

Leafy greens are great!
Collard
Dandelion
Mustard
Romaine

Veggies are a must for every healthy ig.
Orange squashes such as: acorn, banana, spaghetti, and pumpkin; shredded so that your ig can easily eat it.
Shredded raw green beans-

Fresh fruits make for a happy herp.
You can either mash or mince your fruit, I prefer to mince.
Strawberries
Raspberries
Mango
Papaya
Figs
Cantaloupe

Extras-
Some people suggest adding alfalfa to your igs diet in order to supplement some extra protein. You can do this by feeding rabbit pellets. Ideally, you want to add about 15 grams of protein, which is about ½ cup of pellets. Keep in mind the older and healthier the iguana, the less protein needed. Adjust your amounts accordingly. To feed alfalfa pellets, simply soak them in some warm water and watch them expand before your very eyes! Then mix them in with your igs usual salad.

Be sure to ‘dress’ your iguanas’ salad with the proper vitamin and calcium supplements and provide him/her with plenty of water both misted on the salad and by misting the ig himself.

In the wild, iguanas are mostly found eating in the late morning and early afternoon, the same is true of their captive bred relatives. This is the optimum time to feed your iguana for him or her to get all that they can from the digestive and basking process.

Commercial Diets:
There are several, prepackaged commercial diets for iguanas and other herps on the market today. Some are good, some aren’t. Personally, I believe feeding a diet as close to what your iguana would eat in the wild is most important- and that would include fresh foods. Most igs I know are rather particular about their food and would balk at the mere idea of being fed a commercial food. In my opinion, commercial foods should not make up the main stay of the iguanas diet, but if you like, you can try one in conjunction with your igs daily salad.