What Do Iguanas Eat?

Iguanas are naturally herbivores and eat only plants. In the wild they eat the leaves of mature trees with some fruit, berries and flowers, but this is difficult to replicate with your pet iguana. Unfortunately, there has not been a lot of proper research into what iguanas eat in captivity and much of the available information is faulty.

In order to understand what pet iguanas eat, you need to know a little about their physiology. They have sharp teeth which are not designed for biting or chewing which means you need to chop their food. An important aspect of an iguana's dietary requirements is the correct calcium phosphorus ratio pf 2:1. An excess of phosphorus can lead to metabolic bone disease.

What Do Iguanas Eat?

60% of your pet's food should be leafy green vegetables like dandelion, mustard, turnip and collard greens. These can be supplemented with small quantities of carrot tops, chard, kale and spinach. Lettuce is a favorite of iguanas but it acts like junk food by converting to excess sugar in the body, so feed very sparingly. Each day, feed 2 or 3 different types of greens and mix them around to make sure your iggie gets a good range of minerals and vitamins.

Another 30% of the daily food should be fresh vegetables like green beans and peas, carrots and parsnips, yams, squash and asparagus. Avoid regular or extensive amounts of peppers, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, beets, cucumbers and cauliflower; these should not be part of the staple diet.

5% of the day's food can be fruits, but avoid citrus fruits. Too much fruit can cause diarrhea. Cooked grains are a good addition, another 5% maximum quantity, like cooked pasta and rice. Wild and garden plants like hibiscus, dandelion and nasturtium, maple and ficus leaves can be a welcome treat mixed into the salad.

Don't be tempted to give your iguana any animal protein, but they do need some plant protein. The best source for this is rabbit pellets, which are alfalfa based, which can make up to 10% of the day's food. Avoid feeding the pre-prepared iguana foods that have come onto the market as they are not a completely balanced and nutritional diet for your pet. Supplement the above foods with a pinch of pure calcium powder to maintain the correct ratio of phosphorus and calcium.

Maintain a consistent schedule for feeding your iggie. Chop or process all the ingredients finely and feed in a heavy bowl, off the floor, in the morning. Remove any uneaten food every day. Prepare several days worth of food at one time and store it in the fridge for convenience.