Other Fruits and Vegetables

Although greens are the best items to feed your iguana, your lizard needs more variety than they can provide. This is where other vegetables come in. These items should make up about one-quarter to one-third of the total diet.

Almost any plant thought of as a vegetable can be included in the diet of a green iguana. As with the greens, some are better than others. Some to consider feeding to your iguana are asparagus, carrots (shredded), sweet potatoes (also shredded), mushrooms, sprouts (alfalfa, clover, chives, etc.), bell peppers, peas, snow peas, celery, green beans, okra, radishes, squash, com, pumpkin, zucchini, and cucumbers. Radishes and cucumbers are low in most nutrients, so they should be used only once in a while. Asparagus, com, and the various kinds of sprouts are low in calcium, so they too are best served only on occasion. Sprouts, especially alfalfa, are high in vitamins, minerals, and protein, making them a good choice despite their poor calcium level. The sweet potato also is low in calcium, but it is rich in vitamin A, fiber, and some minerals, so it is a good item to include; just be sure to feed those high-calcium greens with it. AlI of the others are good food items for your ig, and one or two can be offered at each meal, remembering to rotate in different items regularly.

Fruits

Although the majority of iguanas relish them, most ffuits are high in sugars and little else. They are best regarded as treats rather than as staple foods. 1 generally include one small piece of some type of fi-uit in the food bowl each day. This seems to encourage my iguanas to come to the bowl and eat. Iguanas respond to color, and some bright reds and yellows in the food dish attract their attention. Just do not overdo it.

As much as your iguanas may love fruits, remember that they are almost the equivalent of candy. You wouldn't feed ahuman child a meal composed mostIy of candy, nor should you feed your iguana meals composed mostIy of fruits. Fruits are generally low in calcium, vitamins, and minerals.

The high level of sugars in fi-uit can disrupt an iguana' s complex digestive system. Too much sugar in the gut can cause problems, such as bloat (which in turn can lead to abnormal twisting of the digestive tract, known as torsion), diarrhea, and acidosis (high levels of acids in the bloodstream).

A few fi-uits that are high in some vitamins and minerals are kiwis, figs, mangos, papayas, raspberries, and melons. Figs, papayas, and raspberries are especially good fruits to feed, as they are relatively high in calcium. It do es no harm to offer other fruits on occasion, including bananas, apples, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, grapes, and others. Acidic fruits, such as pineapples, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, and others, are usually rejected by iguanas. However, if your iguana eats them, they will cause no harm to it in small quantities. Some owners have noticed that feeding acidic fruit to their iguanas results in runny, smelly feces-you have been warned!

Be sure to remove seeds, pits, and stems &om any fruits you offer. They could cause choking or a blockage of the digestive tract.