All About Black Iguana || Comprehensive Guide

Black Iguana ranges from Mexico to northeastern Nicaragua and western Panama, and along the Pacific coast. Famously, they can run as fast as 21 miles per hour to avoid predators. They are also found in marshes and near urban areas, as they are known. If cornered, they will strike with their tails and may even bite to defend themselves. They are bright green in color. They eat mostly insects, their scales darken as they age, and they can also eat green leafy vegetables and grow up to about four feet tall. They are smaller in height and weigh around 4 to 5 kg.

Fun Facts of Black Iguana:

Reproduction Season	Spring
Animal Clutch size	30 Eggs
weight	4 to 5 kg
size	3 to 5 feet

Black lguana.
Black Iguana Care Sheet — Majestic lizard of tropical regions

Physical Appearance of Black Iguana:

They are easily recognizable due to their strong body and unique coloring, they can grow up to about five feet in length, while the females are smaller than them and their skin is mainly black. In natural habitats, camouflage works, and if predators threaten them, they use their tails to protect them, and their tails measure up to 18 inches below their abdomens. The spines are small, green when young, and turn winter as they grow.

Food and diet:

Black Iguana consume different things in their diet like insects, green leafy vegetables fruits, etc. In is dry season they consume plants in their diet whereas in the rainy season, they eat insects in abundance. They use their keen eyesight and are often seen scrambling on rocks or branches to find their food easily. In addition, they may also eat the eggs of their children.

Black-Iguana Food.
Food of Black-Iguana Food — Nature’s efficient fruit and insect eater

Habitat and Range:

Black Iguana ranges from Mexico to the United States. They like both their natural habitat and urban environments and can coexist with humans. In addition, they like to live in a place where they can easily get food and water near them, and they can also be kept as pets, but their It is also important to take good care of it.

Black Iguana Behavior:

Black Iguana can be aggressive fighters, they can attack with their spines and bite to defend themselves. They meet frequently and help each other if they want to occupy a place. If they get out more, they are less likely to get caught. All these things help them adapt to their environment and thrive. They communicate with each other through their bodies and during breeding season they wave their tail to attract females.

Black Iguana Threats and Conservation:

Black Iguana are well known for their unique coloration and strong body. Despite their strong body, they can face many threats if hunting destroys their habitat. They can be easily hunted and deforestation also creates problems for them. In some areas, they are hunted for their meat and skins, all of which make them more vulnerable. Legal action is necessary to secure and protect their habitat and educate the public about them.

Housing For Black Iguana:

Enclosure:

The size of their living space should be at least four to six feet long and three feet wide, the more space you give them the better they can live in. It is important to use bacteria-free use materials, as well as rocks and plants.

Humidity:

Humidity is very important in their living space, humidity levels should be between 40- 50%. It is important to provide shallow dishwater. It can also be used for carpets and paper towels.

Substrates:

Use things in their living space that can provide them with a natural environment like they get in the mountains and forests, you can also use paper towels and carpets.

Avoid Substrates:

Do not use anything in their living space that disturbs their natural environment and is harmful to them and their health, such as the sticks of trees that are green, which can cause breathing problems. They can and cannot retain moisture.

Heating and Lighting:

The temperature in their living space is very important for their health and it is also important to maintain the humidity in it, the humidity level should be 40-50 percent and the temperature should be up to 90 F. They receive light from the sun to maintain their temperature.

UVB Lights must be used. Use a UVB fluorescent bulb. UAB lighting maintains temperature and humidity in it. bulbs can also be used to provide heat. Place UVB lights 12 to 18 inches away from them. They should have 10 to 12 hours of light in their living space. Heat lamps can be used to maintain all these lights.

Common Health Problems with Black Iguana:

Black Iguana may face many health problems, often due to lack of UVB lighting, they may suffer from bone diseases, poor ventilation, and breathing problems due to poor ventilation and high or low humidity in their living space. It may be the problems they can cause problems with their digestive system which consumes insects in their diet, too much or too little humidity can make them prone to infection, and dehydration makes their skin dry and sluggish. To prevent all these things, they should be fed a good and balanced diet and provide adequate lighting.

Black Iguana As a Pet:

Keeping them as pets is a beneficial and very good decision as they can live up to 15-20 years in captivity and require a cage or house at least 6 feet long to stay in captivity. They eat fruits, and insects in their diet. They are shy and try to handle them and make their presence felt. To take better care of them, it is important to get them checked up regularly and provide them with things that make them feel natural in their lives.

Black Iguana Handling and Care Tips:

Handling and caring for them requires paying attention to their behavior. Approach them gently at first and keep them from barking. When you approach them, let them see and smell your hand when you pick them up. Support their stomach and back. Initially handle them in 10 to 15-minute sessions and offer them green leafy vegetables, insects, and balanced grains in their diet.

Lifespan of Black Iguana:

In Captivity:

If they are well cared for and fed well in captivity, they can live for 20 to 30 years because they are not afraid of anything there, so keeping them healthy is very important. It is necessary.

In the wild:

They can live for 5 to 10 years in dense forests because they are afraid of predators there, they are also threatened by dogs, cats, and snakes, due to which they cannot live long and they have to live there well. They do not even get food

Breeding of Black Iguana:

Their breeding process can be rewarding and complex. They usually reach maturity at two to three years of age. Males are usually larger than females. Their breeding season is in the spring. Females wave their tails to attract them and also to find the best place for them to mate. Females usually lay 10 to 30 eggs in a clutch and maintain humidity levels of about 70 to 80 percent. Eggs hatch in 60 to 80 days depending on temperature and humidity maintained around.

Price and cost of Black Iguana:

Their cost can vary depending on their care, but generally, they range from $200 to $800, most of the cost depends on their size and breed, with Baby ranging from $150 to $300 and Youngs ranging from $250 to $450. In addition, it ranges from 400 to 800 in adults.

Conclusion:

They are native to Central America and Mexico. They are very interesting and unique animals. They are known for their strong body and size. They mingle easily with humans, and they communicate with each other by shaking their tails. The temperature and humidity in their living space are specially taken care of so that they do not have any health problems. years and can live 5-10 years in the wild.