Change color is form of self protection in some animals. It’s beautiful for us, but terrifying experience for the animal itself; it signs that they were being monitor by predators so they need to activate the procedure. As wild animals that lived in the wildlife, these type of self protection are needed; every single wild animals have this mechanism, whether it’s exhibit in form of body changing or behavioral reactions, every single living creatures have it – include us, a human.
Furthermore, the most famous animal for the change color mechanism is Chameleon. Yes, this lizard successfully took people’s heart by their amazing performance; plus, the creation of gradation of variant colors should be included to the wonders of the world. However, this fact triggered us to wondering, can iguana do the same as chameleon? As the same group of lizard, as iguana owner you must ever wondering is that possible for my iguana to change color?
So, let me tell you something, changing color did happen to green iguana. But, something to be concern is that the reason behind it would not as amaze as chameleon – even more, the change color that happen to your green iguana must be a warning for you. How is that so? We would uncover the fact behind iguana change of color: iguana and their change of color: when, why, and is it cool?
But first, let me give you some information, if you are interesting to pet iguana at your house, you could check some types of iguana prices in this article: know which iguana at which price. If, you already pet it and face some problems with your beloved iguana, here are tips to handle the most common issues in iguana: the skin problems and the eyes problems.
The Color of Iguana
When it’s come to coloring, most people (especially iguana owners) would ask what is normal skin and abnormal skin color of iguana. Certain colors of iguana also become considerable aspect that affect iguana price: it could be higher and lower. Basically, iguana didn’t have ability to change color in such solid frequency like chameleon; your iguana can’t change their color whenever they want. So, when they changed, of course would surprise you, mostly negatively especially if you didn’t have much information about it.
Furthermore, you must understand not every green iguana species are in total green color. The baby of green iguana tend to have bright-green or greenish-blue, as they grow older the bright color was changed into the darker or duller green, gray, or brown – the colors you commonly seen. There are some cases, the green iguana adult also develop the marking of black and brown. This changes color phase is normal, and nothing should worry about. This also applicable to blue diamond iguana; as they grow older, blue diamond iguana bright color in baby period would fade away.
If, this is happened to your iguana, do not be panic, because as I mentioned above, it is normal my friends. The coloration also depending on the natural habitat and the distribution of iguanas; the examples are South American iguanas and Central America’s iguanas. The South American iguanas are more likely to be blue coloration and the Central America’s iguana is tended to have pale green brown or bold black belly stripes, and white or light blue head, and as they get older it turned as orange coloration. This fact was reviled by the author if Iguana for Dummies, Melissa Kaplan.
The statement of green iguanas could change their color exactly just like chameleon is not accurate. There’s a case of green iguana that purely changed into grey and white coloration and lost all of his greenish colors. In this case, you must aware that iguana only change their color in certain condition and situation, which effected by medical condition, and signs of illness. From the light reason such the sunlight to breeding problems, and increase to stress, these are examples reasons that could force iguana change their color.
The signs of an iguana that change color by sunlight radiation are become darker in a short time, the body’s stripes would look bolder than usual, and the head turned to dark grey, in some cases it would totally changed into black, appearance of brown mark in pattern of leopard-marking. The sudden change of color occur because darker colors are absorbed the sunlight more than the lighter colors. I believe you already know this fact; we would become darker on the sudden in the daylight wearing a black shirt than others color which is lighter than black.
This fact is also applicable to iguana. Furthermore, temperature is also become the reason why your iguana turned into dark-grayish color. So, to maintain your iguana coloration, we advise you to make surrounding environmental less-cold than usual. In fact, a light such mercury vapor bulbs proved enlighten iguana’s skin by effected the pigments. However, let’s turn into medical states that occur became the culprit of the change of iguana’s skin coloration.
In certain level of stress, each iguana responds to the stress affect differently. A study reviled (used numbers of brighten color species) that iguana’s head turned into pale grey from originate bright color; the normal color of the subject was bright blue and it changed into a bright yellow-green coloration. But, the good news is it is after the stress phase is gone, the subject turned to originate color again. How to alleviate the stress level? The easiest way is brought your beloved iguana to the vet.
Another subject exhibit the changed of coloration in the head into bright white when the subject was overpowered by fear and stress; and the last subject turned into purely black head on the head followed by darken body. This is why as an owner you should know the symptoms of stress form in the iguana. Furthermore, breeding process would trigger change color in both genders. The orange coloration would start appearing in males as he enters the season; the change would start from the legs and the coloration mostly tend to be a very bright orange or the neon orange.
What about the signs of any sickness? Actually the sick iguanas are noticeable than the health one; the sick one would tend to change into brownish colors followed by few symptoms of lethargy. Be aware of the orange hue color too, because it could be the sign of kidney disease or severe dehydration. Just to be safe, it is the wise move to bring your iguana to the vet as soon as they develop these kinds of changes.
However, that’s it: iguana and their change of color: when, why , and is it cool. To answer the last question, is it cool? No, it definitely not cool. There are so many reasons to be concern about coloration changes of iguanas. Good luck, fellas, and take a good care of your beloved iguana!