Animals
Bunnies
Bunnies II 
Cat-N-Around Cat Club
Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007 Annual Show
Hawkeye Cat Club 2004
Hawkeye Cat Club 2005
Chinchillas
Degus
Ferrets
Ferrets by BOB
Gerbils
Ground Squirrels
Guinea Pig
Hamsters I
Hamsters II
Hamsters III
Hamsters IV
Hamsters V
Hedgehogs
Kittens
Kids & Kittens
Mice
Mice Pets II
Parasites
Rats I
Rats II
Rats III
Rats, Hairless
S-T Opossums
Siberian Chipmunks
Sugar Gliders
Sugar Gliders II
Water Bottles

Bugs
Crabby 500
Crab 04 Results
Centipedes
Cray/Lobsters
Crayfish II
Crayfish III
Cray, Yucatan
Fiddler Crabs
Shrimp, Algae
Shrimp, Aqua
Shrimp, Orange Bee
Shrimp, Red
Shrimp, Flower
Shrimp, Ghost
Shrimp, Rudolph
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crabs II
Madagas Roach
Mantids
Mini-Clams
Mini-Crabs
Patriot Crabs
Giant Millipedes
Red Claw Crabs
Reiman Butterfly
Spider, Black Widow
Snail, Apple
Snail, Colombian
Snail, Land
Snail, Malaysian
Snail, Mystery
Snail, Trapdoor 
Scorpions
Tarantulas
Tarantulas II
Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
TarantulaWeen 9
Walking Stick
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II  

Birds
Breeding Tips
Button Quail
Canaries
Cockatiels
Dove, Diamond
Dove, Ringneck
Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots
Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II
Parrot Pix III
Dave's Parrots

Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon
Beardies II
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
Gecko, Golden
Gecko, House
Gecko, Leopard
Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
Iguana Dragons
Iguana Q&A I
Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Cool Iguana Pics
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile
Monitors, Savana
Monitors, Water
Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5
Misc Lizards 6
Misc Lizards 7
Misc Lizards 8
Misc Lizards 9
Misc Lizards 10


Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy
Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese

Snakes Alive
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II
Misc Snake Pix
Misc Snakes II
Misc Snakes III  

Turtles/Tortoises
Box, Asian
Box, USA
Races
Snapping
Spiny

Sulcata
Water
Western Painted

Live Foods
Blackworms
Blood Worms
Br Shrimp I
Br Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
Crickets
Dandelions
Daphnia
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fruit Flies
Ghost Shrimp

Glass Worms

Grindal Worms
Infusoria
Mealworms
Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
Bob's Acclimation

How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
Under Gravel Filters

Sponge Filters
Cloudy Water
Cool Water Tanks
Gravel Vacuums
Preventing Disease
Feeding to the Max
Frozen Foods
Green Water
Nasty Chemicals
Overfeeding
Power Filters
Rift Lake Salts
Quarantine Tank
Mini-Tank
2nd Av Bait

Pet World Visit
Dandelions

Aquatic Plants
Amazon Swords
More Swords
Sword Plants III
Anubias
Anacharis
Aponogetons
A. boivinianus
A. fenestralis
A. ulvaceous
Aquarium/Bog
Banana Plant
Bolbitis
Bunch
Bunch Plants II
Cryptocorynes
Crystalwort
Dwarf Lily
Grassy
Grassy II
Hornwort
Hygrophila
Lace
Java Fern I
Java Fern II
Java Fern III
Java Fern IV
Java Moss
Moss Balls
Onion
Vermiculite
Watersprite
Different Watersprite

How big do iguanas get?

Iguanas grow four to six feet long – most of that tail.  Females tend toward the four-foot size, males toward the six.  Actually, six-footers are not that common.  

Another way to measure size is weight.  Really big iguanas can grow to 15 pounds – about the poundage of an overweight cat.  Igs take years and years to grow this heavy.  You will not likely see one this big. 

Do broken iguana tails grow back?

Yes, sort of.  The closer the break to the body, the shorter the new tail.  It may take as long as a year for an iguana to grow back his tail.  And it never will be quite as long as the original.  And it will not grow back the same color.

Because their tails detach so easily, you can’t always determine their age by their length.  Handle yours carefully.

Do torn off toe nails or toes grow back?

No.  However, missing bits and pieces -- including the crest on his back -- will not affect your iguana.

Do small cages stunt the growth of iguanas?

No.  Small aquariums stunt the growth of fishes.  Small cages will not stunt your iguana’s growth.  They will, however, stress them and thus lower their resistance to disease. 

Small cages also limit the activity of your iguana.  If you keep yours cooped up in a small cage, take him out and let him roam around.  Iguanas need cages for their own protection – the bigger the better.

LA
Pair of five year olds.  Male on bottom.  Female on top.

How fast do iguanas grow?

Iguanas hatch out weighing about half an ounce and measure 7-10 inches long.  They grow amazingly fast – one inch per month.  If you feed them incorrectly, they can grow as much as two inches per month.

Grow faster on an incorrect diet?  Yup.  Too much nutrition (especially too much protein) causes unhealthy growth spurts.  They get big fast and die early – usually from kidney failure.

LA
Provide your iguana green leafy lettuce as opposed to iceberg lettuce.

Iguanas normally eat a great deal of leaves (not known as the most nutritious food in the world).  Their long digestive tracts and the mini-critters that live in them enable them to digest foods that would zip right through us.  We call it roughage or salad.

LA
Iguanas like bananas, too.

Heat plays a key factor in their digestive process.  They need 85^o (at a minimum) to digest their food.  What they do not need is easily digestible, highly nutritious foods on a regular basis.  Give them any strange food you want on an occasional basis.  But make sure they get their recommended leafy diet over the long haul.

Why are my iguana’s back legs not working?

Calcium deficiency.  Get him to a vet for a calcium gluconate injection NOW.  Then start adding a phosphorus-free calcium supplement with vitamin D₃ to his food.

When is the breeding season?

Iguanas mate in the late winter.  They lay their eggs in the early spring.  Females get real lumpy right before laying their eggs.

LA
Female iguanas usually sport smaller spikes and smaller dewlaps.

When are iguanas sexually mature?

Somewhere around two years of age many iguanas start feeling their oats.  Males are more turned on than the females and put a lot more of their efforts into aggressive behavior.

If you have no idea of your iguana’s exact age, look for a behavior change when he reaches 30 to 36 inches.

If you plan to breed them, young breeders will naturally produce fewer eggs, but they also require much less room.

LA
Male.  Note the pores on the insides of his thighs.  Much smaller on females.

How do you sex iguanas?

I really doubt you can sex baby iguanas.   And when they’re little, their sex makes no difference to them (or you).

But somewhere around two to three years of age, strange things start happening.  Those old hormones start juicing them up and they change – in actions and appearance.  Their sex becomes quite obvious.

LA
Breeding size male iguana -- about five years old.  Note the larger dorsal spines.

Males grow larger dewlaps and head crests.  They start looking more like dragons than ever.  They grow larger in body size.  Some even turn orange during the breeding season.

Most female iguanas retain their mainly green coloration.  They stay daintier looking with less “decorations” in their head area.

Males become less cooperative.  They may challenge you as a potential predator.  You’ll see head bobbing, wide open mouths, and attempted tail lashings as “keep out of my way” warnings.  They even flare up when they see a picture of another iguana.

You cannot keep two male iguanas in the same cage at this time.  Former brothers become intense rivals in continuing their species.  They will injure each other severely.  Most females get along together -- not all.

Are the sex ratios the same?

Years ago, John Leach told us 10 males come into the country for every female.  The iguana farmers control their sex (to control competition) by keeping the eggs at a specific temperature.  Now that John brought it up, there do seem to be more males than females.

Are “Lizard Lights” full spectrum?

Whatsa matter?  Can’t you read the label?  They say “full-spectrum,” don’t they?

Unfortunately, there seems to be a discrepancy in the way some manufacturers measure their spectrums (or is it spectra?).

Incandescent basking lights do not emit UV-B (the light your Ig needs to manufacture vitamin D₃).  But they do say “full-spectrum.”  Now, we see fluorescent bulbs that screw in.  These should correct the problem.

Most manufactured iguana foods and supplements contain vitamin D₃ these days.  Many natural foods do not.  Be aware of this potential problem.

Are canned iguana foods any good?

You bet.  My only gripe with them is there’s too much food in the can.  Once you open the can, strange colored cultures start growing on it.

I suggest you open the can, plonk the iguana food out on a saucer, and cut it into six or eight pie-shaped wedges.

Give him one wedge (on a lettuce leaf with a sprig of parsley, of course) and freeze the other wedges.  Freeze each in its own separate baggie for convenience.

As your iguana grows, you can give him extra wedges.  No way can a small iguana eat anywhere near a can of food.  Later … no problemo.

Are orange donuts okay to feed to my iguana?

We don’t think up these questions ourselves.  These are actual questions.  And the reason they asked was because their iguana likes orange-frosted donuts.

Obviously, orange-frosted donuts are not one of the foods iguanas eat in nature.  But nearly any food is fine in small quantities.

What should I put on the bottom of my iguana’s cage?

Several manufacturers provide artificial turf for the floor of your iguana cage.  Of course iguanas eat parts of it.  It would be difficult to name a substrate they cannot eat.  Do not use cedar chips.

Advantages of artificial turf:

1. Colorful.

2. Reusable.

3. Economical.

4. Easy to clean.

Disadvantages include the way their toenails catch in it when you pull them out and the way they can “dig up” the loose corners and spoil your nice, neat cage.  I weight mine with a few selected rocks, water bowls, and wood to climb upon.

I dislike gravel and ground corncobs because they’re way too easy for them to eat.  Why encourage them to eat indigestible lumps?

The new reptile bark litters look good and are too big to swallow.  They look very natural in a reptile cage.

Rabbit pellets look a little strange on your cage bottom (until you get used to them).  But why not a digestible cage floor?  Just scoop out the soiled parts or replace it all.  Rabbit pellets cost very little.  If they get wet ... what a mess.

How do I find a lost iguana?

If you lose him outside, look in the want ads.  Lotsa luck.  If you lose him inside the house, look on top of your drapes.

Do iguanas carry diseases?

One recent study found Salmonella bacteria in the excrement of 77% of the iguanas studied.  Testing excrement is not my idea of a fun job.

But what this says is YES they do carry disease – salmonella.  Iguanas lick everything in sight -- including each other.  So if one in a cage has it, they all have it.

Solution?  Wash your hands after handling any reptile or amphibian.  In fact, wash your hands after handling any pet.

LA
Don't mix your dishes with your iguana's dishes.

Can I feed my iguana out of a regular cereal bowl?

Yes, but don’t.  If you do, don’t eat out of it at the same time he eats out of it.  Iguanas always tip cereal bowls over (just like kids).  Use a heavy ceramic or other non-tippable bowl.  LA.

More Info?  Go to Iguana Q&A II

© 1998, © 2003, © 2004  LA Productions

Jaguar Spawning II
Jewel Fish
Keo's Flowerhorns
Keo's Flowerhorns II
Kribensis
Oscars 1
Oscars 2
Oscars 3
Oscars 4
Oscars 5
More Oscar
More Oscar II
More Oscars III
More Oscars 2007
Peacock Bass
Red Devils
More Red Devil  
Red Parrots
Red Parrots Spawn
Pikes
Pink Tilapia
Rams
Red Bay Snooks
Roger Stephen's Cichlids
Severums
More Severums
Severums III
Tanganyikans
Texas Cichlid
Texas Spawning
Texas Spawn II
Uarus
Misc Cichlids I
Misc Cichlids II
Misc Cichlids III
Misc Cichlids IV
Misc Cichlids V
Misc Cichlids VI
Misc Cichlids VII
Misc Cichlids VIII

Livebearer  
Guppies
Half-Beak
Mollies
Moons/Platys
Swordtails

Minnows/Tetra 
Barbs
Barbs, Black
Barbs, Gold
Barbs, Rosy
Barbs, Tiger
Barbs, Tinfoil
Danios
Distochodus
Fathead Minnows
Headstanders
Killies, Econ.
Killies, Golden
Killies, Peat
Killies, Plant
Misc Mini-Fish
Pacús 
Piranha, Black
Piranha, Red
Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Rainbowfish, Irian
Silver Dollar
Tetras, Larger
Tetras, Smaller
Tetras, Spawn
Tetra, Vampire
White Clouds

Pond Fish
Carp
Channel Cat
Gold. Comets
Gold. Fantails
More Fantails
Gold. Oriental  
Gold Oriental II 
Gold. Spawn
Kloubec Koi Farm
Koi
Koi II

Koi III
Plecostomus
Shubunkins

Oddballs  
Af. Butterfly
Af. Lungfish
Af. Mudskippr
American Eel
Archer Fish
Arowana
Bichirs
Borneo Suckers
Brackish I
Brackish II
Brackish III
Brackish IV
Brackish V
Michael Troung's Pix
Butterfly/Wasp
Chameleon Fish
Chromides
Chin Alg Eater
Crazy Fish
Crocodile Fish
Datnioides
Dojo
Electric Cat
Electric Eels
Elephant Nose
Exodon paradoxus
Flounder
Gars  
Glassfish
Goby Bumble
Goby Butterfly
Goby Dragon
Goby Misc.
Half-Beak
Knife African
Knife Clown
Knife Ghost
Loach Botias
Loach Clown
Loach Kuhli
Loach Weather
Moray Eel  
Peacock Gudgeons
Polypterids
Puffers
Ropefish
Scats
Siam Algae Eater 
Spiny Eels 
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Wasp Fish
Wolffish
Wrest Half-Beak
Misc Mini-Fishes
Misc Odd
Misc Odd II
Misc Odd III
Misc Odd  IV

Misc Odd V

Sharks  
Bala
Black
Bull
Chinese Hi-Fin Banded
Iridescent
Red-Tail
Siam Algae Eater

Pond Info 
Blank Park Zoo
Bob Humphrey's Ponds
Cattails
Maffett Reservoir
DMACC's Pond
D.M. Botanical Center
D.M. Water Works
Dr. Ervanian's Garden
Duckweed
Dwarf Lily
Ewing Park "Pond"
Jan & Chris's Water Garden
John McDonald's Pond
Hall's Four Acres
Klines' Water Garden
Landscaper Effects
Mini-Pond Pics
Pioneer Corn's Pond
Pond Fish Predators
Pond on 38th Street 
Pond Pics
Pond Plants
More Pond Plants
Pond Plants III
Reiman Ponds
River Scenes
Riverview Island
Selin's Water Gardens
Selin's Japanese Garden
Tom's Used Cars Pond
Urbandale Duck Pond
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Wild Ponds