What to feed a green iguana - Chapter 3 of Goblin's story "Green Goblin"The story of a beloved green iguana Chapter 3 After reading much information on heat, lighting and humidity requirements for our new little iguana, I figured if the pet store owner was wrong about those topics...there was a pretty good chance he was wrong about his feeding requirements as well. As I started my research, I found out that not only was he wrong, but he was deadly wrong! The first, and I believe the most important fact is that iguanas are STRICTLY herbivores. That mean they do NOT eat any animal proteins in their diet. How was the pet store owner grievously wrong? Well, remember his suggestion of feeding crickets? First, I will outline what TO DO when considering your iguana's diet. Be SURE to watch for my next post to find out what NOT TO DO for your iguana and his diet!! 1. An iguana diet should be balanced to AT LEAST a 2:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio. It is good to go higher on the calcium to make sure they are receiving what they need. There are charts that outline the nutritional contents of each fruit and vegetable 2. (Good) Foods for iguanas come in about 5 categories. A. First, there are staple foods that should be the main ingredients of a good Iggy diet, such as collard greens, arugula and dandelion greens. These foods should be used for every meal (you can use 2 at a time and rotate). B. There are a variety of greens that are good choices to add to your staple foods. They should be periodically rotated for variety, and you can choose two or three at a time. Some of these choices are: escarole, watercress, endive, mustard greens, turnip tops, mustard spinach, swiss chard, chicory and cilantro. C. Some greens are good for your Iggy's diet, but must be used sparingly because they are high in oxalates. Oxalic acids and oxalates are naturally found in many plants. the significance of this for your iguana is that these acids bind to nutrients and make them inaccessible for the body to use. When you feed plants constantly that are high in oxalates, you risk damaging your Iggy's kidneys. The foods that are high in these oxalates are: napa, kale, bok choy and beet greens. They are ok to use sparingly in the diet. D. Although greens are the main staple in any good iguana diet, veggies such as these can be added for nutrients and variety: acorn squash (grated), parsnips, butternut squash (grated), green beans, yams (grated) and peas. E. Fruits like these should be used as a treat and not a staple food. They can be given once or twice per week: grapes, melons, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and mango. It gets pretty daunting when you try and calculate all of these calcium to phosphorus ratios while figuring what you need to feed your iguana. I found an excellent source to use for a great iguana diet from "The Iguana Den" online. Not only do they teach you how to feed your iguana, but everything you need to know is there on one site. Expert Page: Freelance native English writing services, proofreading and editing | 
