What Do Iguanas Eat?

Iguanas living in captivity have extremely strict dietary requirements. Iguanas are vegan and should be fed a diet that is phosphorous, high in calcium and contains Vitamin D3. A diet of mixed greens provides the basis for their nutritional needs and should be combined with a calcium supplement and a multivitamin.

50% of their diet should consist of mixed greens such as: Leafy greens, Collards, Mustard greens, Turnip greens, Nasturtiums (leaves & flowers), Dandelions (leaves & flowers), Escarole, Rocket, Hibiscus leaves and flowers, Watercress, Land cress, fresh Alfalfa and Carrot tops.

On top of this, try and aim to feed your Iguana around 35% of Green beans, Zucchini, Squash, Bean sprouts, Okra, Grated carrot, red, yellow or green bell peppers (Sweet peppers), Leeks, Peas, Cucurbits, alfalfa pellets, Vine leaves, Chinese greens and Celery.

About 10% of the diet can be formed from fruits such as Papayas, Blackberries, Kiwi, Peaches, Bananas, Grapes, Plums, Apricots, Oranges, Clementines, Satsumas, Mangoes, Apples, Figs, Strawberries, Pears, Cherries, Melons, Fuchsia fruits and Rose hips.

Yes  however, they are mostly water so it isn't a very good thing to feed your iguana. Each week, I chop up some apples, squash, green beens, onions, apples, carrots, occasionally mangos and bannanas as a treat, and I usually throw in a small amount of lettuce. They need to have a balanced diet and cannot be fed lettuce or 1 food.  This website below has the BEST info and has a table on how much percentage of food groups iggies need a day. I suggest that you look at it: www.greenigsociety.org HOPE THIS HELPS!

  -Ryan

Melissa Kaplan

Iguanas DO NOT EAT MEAT meaning NO crickets!!!
Iguanas are herbivores, animals who eat only plant matter.

Daily food should have 5-7 good staple greens (2-3 cups a day if not more younger igs may eat less then 1/4 cup) ... Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens (if you can find), endive, radicchio, arugula, mache (if you can find), watercress ... Some greens to give occasionally kale, bok choy, escarole ... Adding basil for young igs sometimes helps them eat ... Romaine is mostly water no nutrience, you can add small amount and occasionally in w/ the good staple greens (collard, mustard, etc) but do not make romaine just your iguanas choice of greens (or any other type of lettuce most of us humans eat) ... Some things to add (small amounts) snap peas, bell peppers (every now and then), parsnip, sweet potato/yam, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash ... Fruits should only be given every now and then once or twice a week type of thing fruits are like junk food to iguanas ... Some fruits to try papay, kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew (great water source), canalope (great water source), 12 grain wheat bread . I suggest you vegetarian diet through this you get more results about what is a vegetarian diet ?

Plants

I have replanted my butterfly garden several times and they keep eating everything that blooms. So Whatever butterflies like, they like. I am looking for what they WON'T eat.