Do you have an iguana? Apparently, these days people pay more attention to one of this reptile. Yes, among many other reptiles, iguana become the most popular species as a pet. There are two common options for you if you consider keeping an iguana in your house: first one is purchase an iguana in the pet stores (the easiest one), and the second is adopt an iguana from shelters or foster cares. The thing about adopt iguanas from shelter or foster care, you need to be very selective; plus, you need to comply some documents to bring back home an iguana. Yes, it’s a little bit complicated.
Moreover, as an iguana’s owner you should know the properly care, such as: what to do for a proper action toward iguana various behaviors, and the best ways to bath an iguana. As a herbivorous reptile, you also need to understand the necessity of an iguana’s nutrient; make sure your iguana eat well and drink enough. The problem that appear while feeding an iguana is that we almost never see out iguana drink water; some says iguana does not drink water, really? One thing for sure, no creatures on earth: animals, plants, and human that doesn’t need water. Every living things need it.
But, yes I would admit, the lack of people’s opportunity to see iguanas drink water trigger some none-sense speculation. Furthermore, today we would help you to understand why iguana rarely seen drank water, and also what you need to do to make sure your iguana has enough water supply inside their body, so you don’t have to worry about dehydration which might strike your beloved iguana. Although you might rarely see (or even never seen) your iguana drink, doesn’t mean he or she never drinks. Don’t be presumptuous to determine this such of issue.
Talk and consult to the expert if you almost never seen your iguanas drink water, they would understand how to deal with this such of behaviors and help you through it. However, learn more about iguana’s drink habit in: some says iguana does not drink water, really? Then, you would never be confusion by it, because you already know what might cause it and how to give the best way out for the problem!
Eat and Drink Habit of Iguana
Do you know that iguanas eat their food by tear and rip the food rather than chew it? It because their teeth are small, so that it would be a little bit hard for them to chew it. Ordinarily, iguanas would take a large bite and then swallow it straight to their belly. This fact perhaps would remind you to snakes – well, it’s not really surprising considering the fact that the two of them was included at the same group of reptiles. Occasionally, iguanas would tongue-flick the food into their mouths.
So, how about the drink? Iguanas only drink occasionally; iguanas would dip their head (a big proportion of their head) to water, and lapping up the surface of under water. The second method that iguanas would use to get water is lick water droplets from plant’s surfaces, fruit, or other misted surfaces they could found. However, keep in your mind that only serve fresh water and food for your iguanas. I think we all know the reason; fresh water and food contained highest number of benefit substances and most the healthiest sources of food you could ever found.
Do not ever try to give your iguana spoil or dirty food, if you won’t your iguana trap in a very serious health issue especially digestion issues. I guess, I would – once again – remind you that iguanas are vegetarian – pure vegetarian. Do not ever juggle around by giving them meat or insect in their meals, it would upset their gut. Once again, it would upset your gut – I hope you really note this one in your brain.
Water and Food Bowls
While thinking about water and food bowls, you need to search the perfect spot to place the container. Pick the heaviest container you could found, it would prevent the container (bowls) to trundle all over the habitat. The best spot to placing the food bowl is in far away area from habitat’s bottom, due to prevent your iguana eat (accidentally) substrate material and even more contained with any fecal matter.
Meanwhile, the perfect spot to place water’s container is in the bottom of the habitat. It also important to place more than one of water’s container in several spots inside the habitat. Please, adjust the size of the container with the habitat; if you could, pick the one which cannot be climb in by iguanas.
Give Drink Lesson for your Beloved Iguanas
Iguana would drink from the water sources inside the habitat: the container (for smaller iguanas) and the pool (for larger iguanas). Just like I mention before, you might not seen your iguana drink water, but they do drink amount of water out of your sight. If you nervous about “lack of drink” in iguana’s habit, then perhaps it is the best for you to train you iguanas to drink more water. Is that possible? It is possible!
The easiest method to start with is to give some treat to your iguana by placing the food inside the water container or the pool every single day. Place the type of iguana’s favorite foods inside: a large piece of mustard green, collard, and other favorite foods would be efficient! Why this is one of the simple and easiest method? Because it would force your iguana to take amount of water while they were eating their foods.
The next step is gradually reduced the size of the foods daily for several weeks; if it necessary, you could train them for months. The more you give this lesson to your iguana, soon or later they (iguanas) would keep up this good habit for the rest of their lives. In the last session of training, you could give your beloved iguana a bowl of fresh water. However, when the training succeed, you could breathe freely knowing that your beloved iguana could maintain their health condition by themselves – well, at least at the drink part.