IN Lately Exotic animals have become popular as pets. Instead of the usual fish, parrots and turtles, mothers and fathers buy their children giant spiders, snakes, lizards. The iguana animal is also on the list of favorite pets.
Those who have ever seen an iguana in a pet store probably know that it seems to be thinking about something all the time: it freezes in one position and only occasionally blinks its eyes. How does this animal behave in the wild? What does it eat and where does it live?
Common iguana, which is also called the green iguana, is a reptile belonging to the order Squamate, the iguana family.
What does a green iguana look like?
Among all the representatives of its family, the common iguana is the largest. The length of its body can reach 1.5 meters, while an adult weighs on average 7 kilograms.
The body of the animal has a variety of colors, despite the name “green”. The common iguana can be bluish, lavender, pink, red, bluish and even black. The iguana is a cold-blooded animal. Therefore, it is very susceptible to temperature changes.
As for the sense organs of this reptile, we can note excellent hearing and acute vision in bright light. In addition to two eyes, the animal’s head is also equipped with a third one, located on the top of the head. Thanks to this eye (it looks like white scales), the iguana detects the approach of the enemy in time and hides. Iguana – excellent swimmer, a rather flexible tail helps her in this. The tail also serves as a defensive weapon - with it the animal deals heavy blows to the enemy.
It is impossible to say that iguanas are only green. Their color can be very varied Where do common iguanas live?
The habitat of this animal is quite wide. The green iguana is found almost throughout the territory Latin America, in some countries South America(for example, in Brazil), and also inhabits some US states. In addition, this representative of the iguana family gets along well on the Caribbean islands.
Iguana lifestyle
The green iguana is an arboreal animal: most of its life activity takes place in the trees. For its residence it chooses tropical rainforests and tree thickets, but is also found on open sea coasts.
Active during the daytime. When the weather becomes inclement, the iguana comes down to the ground and spends time there, this helps it better maintain the temperature balance of its body.
What does the tree iguana eat?
The common iguana is an exclusively herbivore. As food, she chooses shoots, flowers and fruits of plants growing in tropical zones.
Iguana breeding
The mating season for these reptiles begins in January - February. At this time, males become quite aggressive; iguanas can often fight in the fight for a female, although in ordinary life This animal is quite peaceful.
65 days after mating, the female digs a deep hole and lays 20 to 70 eggs in it. The eggs have a soft but very durable shell. After 3–4 months (if the temperature throughout the incubation period was 30–32 degrees), small iguana cubs are born. Outwardly, they are very similar to adult iguanas, differing only in size. The cubs are quite independent. But for the first year of their lives, all hatched “babies” try to stay close together in order to be able to protect themselves from enemy attacks. In the third or fourth year of their life, iguana cubs reach full maturity, including sexual maturity.
Scientists have noted that in the natural environment animals are able to live only up to 8 years, while in quality pet An iguana can live two and a half times longer.
Pets are different: some love affectionate and graceful cats, someone likes the devotion and loyalty of dogs. Many people like to watch for hours underwater inhabitants or listen to the sonorous voices of birds. And exotic lovers prefer the company of reptiles, one of which is our today’s heroine - an ordinary green iguana.
Habitat
The species Iguana-iguana belongs to the genus True iguanas of the Iguana family. This homeland is Mexico, from where the species spread and today is widely represented in the territory of South and Central America, it was also brought to Florida.
The common iguana prefers to live in tropical rainforests and dense thickets on the banks of rivers. This woody look reptiles, and therefore they spend most of their lives in trees.
Common iguana: description
Today, this lizard can increasingly be seen in home terrariums. The common iguana (you can see the photo in the article) is a large animal. An adult reaches a length of 1.5 meters (including tail), although true giants are often found - up to two meters or more. The size of the lizard depends on age and sex: males are much larger than females. What does the common green iguana look like? Photos published in various publications for naturalists demonstrate how diverse the representatives of this species are.
Some individuals have thickened skin projections located on the upper part of the nose. They can be small, barely noticeable, and can reach huge size. Some lizards may have several such “horns”. The diversity of the species is also manifested in the color of these lizards. Although they are called green, they are not always green. The common iguana can be colored in a wide variety of shades of green: from rich to very light. Interspersed with various shades of blue are allowed.
In nature there are also rare representatives species, with a color that differs from most animals of this species.
Brown iguanas
This is a common iguana, the description of which in reference books confirms that this lizard can be tan, brown or cream in color. Sometimes this shade may be unnatural, but caused by stress or illness of the animal.
Blue lizards
This common iguana comes from Peru. Saturated turquoise skin distinguishes these lizards. The irises of such individuals are usually reddish-brown. Thin black stripes run throughout the body, tail, and in the folds of the skin.
Even very young ordinary animals can have a blue color, but with age it changes to green.
Red morph
This color does not exist in nature: it is obtained artificially. The common red morph iguana acquires this skin color due to its feeding habits. Animals are fed pigmented natural fruits and vegetables - red bell pepper, for example, or artificially pigmented fish food (for parrot fish). Naturally, these products do not replace the main diet, but are only additives.
Don't be alarmed if your common iguana changes color at home. These lizards change it throughout their lives, and this depends on their condition and conditions of detention. Young animals change color during molting; adults can change color under the influence of temperatures: if the animal is cold, its color darkens, and in the heat it turns pale. Most males change their color several months before mating season. Wave-like bright stripes appear on their body orange color at the chin, on the body and paws, on the spines.
But if your pet's color turns dark grey, dark brown, yellow or black, you need to consult a specialist to identify the reasons for this change, as in most cases it can be a sign of illness or disease in the animal. unfavorable conditions content. At good care For this reptile, its life expectancy is on average up to 12 years, although there are also centenarians who live up to 18 years.
Lifestyle
The common iguana is a diurnal animal. It is active in the morning and evening (before sunset). At this time in natural conditions the lizard climbs into the trees, where it happily basks in the sun. This is necessary for reptiles to produce vitamin D and thermoregulation.
The common iguana is not only an excellent tree climber, it is also a first-class swimmer. It is water that saves the lizard in case of danger. If the conditions for keeping the green iguana are observed, the owner will be surprised by the calm and docile nature of the unusual pet.
A young lizard can be tamed by frequently picking it up: it quickly gets used to this and becomes tame.
It would seem that you can immediately purchase a more spacious terrarium, but experts believe that in a smaller volume the young lizard feels more confident and protected. In such conditions, it will be much easier to tame her.
For adult the terrarium must be spacious so that the animal not only fits completely in it, but also leaves room for a pool, which is vital for green iguanas. Minimum size for an adult - 80x70x120 cm.
Decoration of the terrarium
According to experienced owners, the best option for covering the floor of a terrarium is a rubber lawn mat. It will not only give a more attractive appearance, but will also allow you to keep the lizard’s house clean: it will not harbor microorganisms that can harm the health of your pet. Before placing such a mat, it should be washed and ventilated well so that the reptile is not irritated by foreign odors.
A spacious pool will also be required, since it is in the water that the reptile defecates. For this reason, the water must be cleaned and changed regularly. Comfortable lighting for a green iguana is considered to be a daylight period of at least twelve hours. Try to imitate circadian rhythms. In this case, the reptile will feel more comfortable in captivity.
A prerequisite for home care iguanas - Fluorescent Lamp with UVB emitter. This simple device will help the lizard produce the vitamin D it needs. In warm and sunny days the terrarium can be taken outside so that the lizard can enjoy natural sunlight. But at the same time, direct rays should not fall on it, since the glass will become very hot and change the microclimate of the terrarium.
Temperature
For the green iguana, multi-level temperature regime. This is due to the fact that reptiles are cold-blooded. General temperature in the terrarium it should not fall below +28 °C, at the warming up point this figure increases to +35 °C, and at night it can drop to +20 °C. The lamp at the heating point should be placed at a safe distance (20 cm) above the top branch in the terrarium. The water temperature in the pool is not higher than +25 °C.
Humidity
Like most tropical animals, iguanas require at least 80% humidity. To achieve this level, you can place an aquarium heater (previously well insulated) in the pool: it will maintain the required water temperature and create evaporation, which will help maintain humidity. In addition, you should spray the terrarium with warm water three times a day.
Feeding
The green iguana eats dandelion leaves, clover, lettuce, and loves various fruits. He has a cooler attitude towards vegetables, although this largely depends on your lizard's taste preferences. It is not recommended to give your exotic pet cabbage. It is advisable to add sprouted mung bean, especially when feeding offspring, as it is rich in protein.
While the lizard is young, it can be pampered with insects (in small quantities). Crickets and zofobas are suitable for this. A salad that is 70% leafy greens and the remaining 30% is chopped vegetables and fruits is something your common iguana will happily eat. Nutrition in the life of this reptile has great importance, but don’t forget about vitamins: they should be given twice a week. Place a feeder with crushed shells or eggshells in the terrarium: such a treat will become a source of calcium.
Common iguana: reproduction
Green iguanas reach sexual maturity between one and a half to three years of age. About what's coming mating season, you will recognize by the changed color. For males, the mating season lasts about a month, and for females no more than ten days.
After mating, the female carries the eggs for two months and then lays eggs. It is advisable to transplant the females into a separate terrarium during this period. The clutch consists of 40 or more eggs. It is removed and transferred to an incubator with a temperature of +32 °C. After 90 days, babies are born. During the period of gestation, the female needs a large amount of calcium and protein food.
Over the past few years, it has become very popular to keep various exotic animals as pets. Spiders, snakes, and snails have become common pets. One of these unusual options was keeping an ordinary iguana at home, which has a peaceful character and does not cause much trouble. Before you decide to important step If you want to have such an animal at home, it is recommended to find out more about it.
The iguana is one of the favorite pets exotic pets. Description of the animal
Zoologists call this species green or tree iguana, which is directly related to appearance and the animal's lifestyle. The individual belongs to the order Reptiles and the Iguana family.
The appearance of the animal is quite frightening, and its constantly pensive appearance makes it a special representative among such living creatures. Maximum size individual individuals can reach a length of 2 meters and a weight of 8 kilograms. However, such individuals are not found so often. The usual size is 100−150 cm and weight 4−5 kilograms. The animal is diurnal and mostly wood image life.
Long, inwardly curved claws, which are hard and sharp, help the iguana to stay on any tree. As a rule, male reptiles are larger than females. A sexually mature female rarely weighs more than 3 kilograms and reaches a length of more than 120 cm.
The body length from the nose to the tip of the tail in adult individuals usually does not exceed 1.5 m, although in history individual individuals have been known to be more than 2 m long and weighing over 8 kg. It is worth considering that most of the body length of individuals is the tail, which is almost three times longer than the body. The tail is extremely hard, elastic and strong. It acts as a defender and when there is a threat of attack, the animal hits the enemy with its tail.
Despite the name of the individual, its color is not always only green. IN different corners On the planet there are types of brown and red shades. The most interesting is the blue color with a slight deepening blue tint. Animals with similar colors become favorites among lovers of exotic animals. There is also a large number of individuals are black, purple, pink and orange. In most cases, the color directly depends on where the iguana lives.
Structural features
The structure of the iguana has several features that relate to the throat and dorsal crest.
A large herbivorous lizard of the iguana family, it leads a diurnal arboreal lifestyle. A common representative of this species has the following characteristics buildings:
- The body is relatively thin and slightly compressed laterally, which makes it even smaller in volume.
- The tail is three times longer than the body and has well-developed muscle strength, which prevails over other parts of the body.
- From the tail to the head there is a special longitudinal ridge of spines up to 2 cm long. Each individual individual has these spines different shapes and length.
- The tetrahedral head is also covered with similar spikes, only smaller.
- The entire body is covered with small scales. It is for this reason that the animal belongs to the Scaly order.
- The paws are quite short in comparison with the body, and have long, arched and prehensile claws that help move along a tree trunk or grassy area.
- Each paw has 5 unwebbed toes.
One of the features of the iguana is big size the throat sac, which is flattened laterally and plays a big role in regulating the body temperature of the individual, as well as during mating games.
You can distinguish a sexually mature male individual by paying attention to the hind legs. Males have very developed pores on them, which are usually covered with an astringent substance. The scales near the tail of the male are also different. They have a more elongated shape and their number is greater than on the female’s tail.
Because the the animal is diurnal, his vision at this time is very good and allows him to consider the perceived threat when it appears at a considerable distance. However, with the onset of darkness, vision indicators sharply decrease, and the animal cannot protect itself. That is why it is rarely seen at night.
In bright light, the green iguana has excellent vision, with which it recognizes objects and movements at a great distance. Experiments have shown that when an individual suddenly moves from a light to a darkened room, it begins to behave aggressively and tries to free itself because it feels threatened. Like other lizards, the iguana has an underdeveloped parietal eye, which is located on the top of the head, towards the back of the neck. It does not play a special role in obtaining images, since its lens is underdeveloped. On top, the rudimentary organ is covered with translucent scales and serves to orient the animal in space, as well as to prevent an attack from behind.
The animal's hearing is good, but with slight deterioration weather conditions its severity decreases. When an individual hears an unfamiliar and sharp sound, it turns to its source, trying to determine what is making it.
An interesting feature of the iguana is its inability to independently control its body temperature. If the air temperature decreases, the animal’s temperature also decreases and vice versa. The optimal level is considered to be +37 degrees. This indicator does not depend on where the iguana lives.
Tree iguanas do not have the ability to regulate their osmotic pressure, since they primarily feed on plant foods, which do not contain enough nutrients to maintain optimal levels. The animal does not accumulate urine or other biological fluids, and removes excess moisture from the body by sneezing.
Habitats
The tree iguana is one of the most common lizards. The homeland of the individual is considered to be Southern Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil, where it is found in many places. In almost any part of America you can find various species of this animal. There are iguana populations in the British, Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii.
Green iguanas are exclusively herbivores, eating leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits tropical plants. Favorite place habitat - tropical forests with high humidity And big amount vegetation that serves as food for animals. They prefer shady thickets, which at night serve as shelter from enemies. During the day they try to climb higher into open Sun rays to get your dose of ultraviolet radiation.
The sun is vital for scaly animals, since under its influence vitamin D is produced, which is indispensable for normal digestion. Only after several hours in the sun does the individual descend in search of food.
Despite their tenacious claws, iguanas often fall from trees. At the same time, falling from a height of 12-16 meters, they are able to avoid breaking. The lizard can also swim. In this case main role played by a muscular tail, which does all the work under water.
IN natural environment habitat, the animal often causes irreparable damage to green gardens and the burrows of some animals. Lizards eat rare plants and their seeds, which affects the lives of many animals and insects listed in the Red Book.
Lizard food
Unlike other representatives of this class, iguanas belong to a species that feeds exclusively on plant foods. They prefer shoots, stems and leaves of tropical plants. In nature, there are more than 100 species of plants that the scaly one eats with pleasure.
Young lizards are quite independent, although when they are born they may have a small yolk sac containing a nutritional mixture for the first one or two weeks. Jamaican plum, incense tree and other plants form the basis of the diet. Most young individuals often eat the excrement of adult representatives of the species. Scientists explain this fact by the need to compensate for the deficiency of microorganisms for normal intestinal function.
The lizard's small teeth do not allow it to chew food, so they simply swallow it in pieces. Some publications contain information that individuals feed on insects, but scientists do not confirm this fact.
According to research, the iguana’s body is not adapted to digest proteins of animal origin, and they receive all nutritional components only from plants. It is possible that traces of insects are found in the stomach of some individuals. But this is explained by the fact that when eating vegetation, the iguana can accidentally swallow an insect.
There are cases when the animal ate other small representatives tropical forest, but this is only due to the disadvantage plant food and is considered a rare event. Some zoologists in their works claim that if there is a lack of usual food, individuals can eat dead fish, eggs of other animals and even the meat of small rodents.
There is no official confirmation of this theory, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out, especially if kept in an artificial environment.
Reproduction nuances
Female iguanas are not inclined to care for their future offspring and after laying eggs they leave the place never to return. Individuals become sexually mature at 2-4 years, which depends on the habitat and weather conditions.
At birth, the length of the cubs varies from 17 to 25 cm and weighs about 12 g. Breeding time occurs mainly in January-February and has several features:
- The male chooses one or several females, which is quite normal for this species.
- After this, the individuals determine the place where mating will take place and the male uses his special secretion secreted from hind limbs, marks his territory so that other males know about his plans.
- During this period, the male is especially aggressive and prefers to fight to win his right to mate.
- As a rule, the weaker male prefers to leave the territory and does not engage in battle with the stronger one. This can only happen in artificial conditions, when the territory for retreat is limited. In this case, the stronger male bites the weaker one, showing his strength.
- The mating season lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, the male impresses the females, inflates his throat pouch and even changes his color to a more saturated one.
- The duration of gestation of eggs is about 60−65 days.
- After this, the female goes closer to the pond and digs a hole up to 1 meter deep at a short distance from the water.
- Within 2-3 days, eggs are laid, the number of which in most cases ranges from 45-70 pieces.
In many cases, several lizards lay their eggs in one cavity at once, which later helps the offspring get out. This happens after 3-4 months. The hatching time of the babies depends on the air temperature. At +30−32 degrees the process accelerates.
After hatching, young lizards do not need help and are able to independently obtain food within a week after birth. Almost 12 months all babies born stick together, and males protect females from possible threats. This feature distinguishes iguanas from all other representatives of the class.
In the wild, scaly animals do not live longer than 8-9 years. When optimal conditions are created in an artificial environment, their age can reach 20 years. This is possible with correct drafting diet and regular care of the individual.
Adult iguanas have many enemies in wildlife. Different kinds crocodiles, cats, foxes, ferrets and hawks pose a real threat to the lizard. This is due to the fact that sexually mature individuals gradually lose the ability to change color to green in order to camouflage themselves from the enemy. Young individuals have this ability perfectly, so they do not often fall into the clutches of predators.
Keeping iguanas requires proper and careful care, including a specially equipped terrarium with plenty of space, maintaining acceptable humidity, temperature and lighting. Currently, iguanas are very popular. However, for their content As a pet, several conditions must be met:
- The terrarium should be spacious because as the animal grows it will need a lot of space.
- Be sure to equip it with a heater that will maintain the optimal temperature.
- An important condition is the presence of a source of ultraviolet radiation, without which the animal will die.
A varied diet should also be provided. It is allowed to include insects and rodent meat in moderation so as not to harm the iguana’s body. Cabbage, potatoes, Bell pepper, carrots, alfalfa, celery and beets will be the optimal diet for the lizard. You should not feed your animal one product. The best option There will be a varied and rich diet.
At proper care and attention, the animal will live a long time and will delight the owner, especially if he loves exotic animals.
Green iguana (Iguana iguana) is one of the largest lizards on the planet. The bright color makes it very noticeable. Where do green iguanas live? Green iguanas live in the tropical rainforests of South America, among the foggy mountains, big trees and millions of plants. This is where we will go to get acquainted with their way of life.
The life of green iguanas begins in the egg. There they develop for about three months and hatch almost all at the same time. Having laid her eggs deep in a warm and safe hole, the female iguana returns to the forest. Iguanas do not care about the young generation. Having got out of the hole and finding themselves on the surface in the forest, the small iguanas are left to their own devices. At first they try to stay in groups. By sticking out their tongues, newborn reptiles explore the air and each other. After three months of imprisonment in a cramped egg, external world scary, but there is a lot to learn before they grow up.
The first thing you need to do to survive is not to get caught by a predator. Surviving in the big jungle is not an easy task. Kids, not even knowing who their enemy or friend is, try to hide and run away from the perceived danger, using all the available tricks and devices that nature has provided them with: moving quickly, swimming and even running on water. But still, someone will be unlucky and will be eaten. But by sacrificing one of their brothers, the rest will receive their first lesson about who to be wary of.
The baby's next task is to find food and shelter. Most Green iguanas spend time on the tops of trees near bodies of water. Thin branches on the upper floors of the forest are not the best place for the accommodation of such heavyweights. Adults weigh up to 13.5 kg and reach two meters in length, so they are ideally suited to live at a height of 30 meters. Their claws are like climbing cats, helping them climb trees well. Iguanas are very similar to small dinosaurs, although they actually feed on leaves, flowers and fruits.
Predators wanting to taste delicious meat the iguana has enough. Among them are snakes, crocodiles, birds of prey. The red-tailed buzzard is strong enough to pull an adult iguana from a treetop, but the reptile, with its keen eyesight, always sees the approaching predator. At a critical moment, iguanas jump from the tree into the water. By compressing their lungs, they absorb the impact, and their tough skin allows them to withstand a fall from a thirty-meter height. They feel at home in the water. Iguanas have waterproof skin, can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes, and can also slow their heart rate. So as long as they don't move, they're safe.
But as soon as the iguana rises to the surface of the water for air, another no less scary predator– cayman. The only escape from it can be a tree, so the iguanas rush to return to the cover of the forest. But let's return to our young iguanas. Instinct calls them to search for food and take shelter. Strange birds and new sounds are frightening, but the hungry reptiles continue to move forward and upward.
Despite the fact that they have only recently hatched from an egg, young iguanas have good control over their paws. They are fully equipped from birth, their claws are no worse than those of their parents. On the trees green color iguana good camouflage, it blends in with the foliage, so the untrained eye may not notice them at all. But snakes have trained eyes and any slightest movement reveals small iguanas. The wine, or grape, also knows how to perfectly camouflage itself; it waits for food to approach, and when it appears, the reptile rarely misses its lunch. Only 5% of green iguanas become adults. Therefore, in order to survive, a small lizard must constantly be on the alert.
After sunset, babies need to rest; to do this, they slow down, lower their body temperature, and fall asleep. Reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning they keep warm solar heat, and when it gets cold, they freeze, as if they were running on solar batteries. Small iguanas group and spend the night as if in a manger, but as soon as the sun warms up they continue moving again.
Heading to the treetops for fresh and young shoots, small lizards find themselves in the world of their adult relatives. This meeting is good for them. While feeding on leaves and fruits, adults regularly drop droppings on the lower branches, which serve as healthy food for the babies. Manure provides little iguanas with everything they need and is easily digestible. It contains a lot of fruit sugars, vitamins and bacteria necessary to start digestion.
Once on the floor of adult iguanas, they gradually enter adult life. Since adults do not pay attention to the young, they stick together for several months until they are strong enough to defend themselves. They become mature only after five years.
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