Water

Hopefully, it does not come as a surprise that your iguana needs water to drink. Some iguana books state that iguanas do not drink often and that frequent drinking is a sign of illness. I have found that iguanas do drink on a fairly regular basis, and therefore, they should have clean, &esh water available at all times.

As with the food, a sturdy dish is highly recommended. You also want a heavy one. Trust me-you really don't want to have to re-clean your &eshly cleaned cage because your iguana spilled his water. Large, heavy crockery dishes make great water bbwls because they are so heavy. It does make them a bit of a chore to take out of the cage and clean, but it's worth it to not have to deal with a sopping-wet cage every day. Weighted plastic dog bowls may make a good alternative, but I have no experience with them. They would certainly be worth trying.

Each day, you should remove the water bowl &om the cage, dump the water, and replace it with &esh water. Once a week, soak the bowl in about one part bleach to four parts water for 15 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly. This will keep the bowl relatively &ee of germs.

Most iguanas have a tendency to defecate in the water bowl. While this behavior may seem disgusting to humans, let's look at it &om the iguana' s point of view. In the wild, iguanas tend to live in the trees overhanging streams, rivers, and lakes. When nature calls, an iguana positions himself over the edge of the branch and does his business. The waste falls in the water, and the current carries it away. In captivity, the water bowl is the closest substitute to a river the iguana has. It doesn't have the brain capacity to realize that there is no current to carry the waste away; you have to be the current. If your iguana do es go in its bowl, you should clean the bowl immediately, soaking it in a bleach and water solution for at least 15 minutes before rinsing, filling, and returning it to the cage.