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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: What do I feed
Sam, our baby iguana? -- C.V., Phoenix, Ariz.
A: First, you
deserve a lengthy reprimand. This is the sort of question we should have
received (ital) before (end ital) Sam became a member of your family.
Marcia Rybak,
former president of the Chicago Herpetological Society, has seven green
iguanas. (Six of the lizards were dropped at her doorstep by owners who
could no longer deal with a four- to six-foot animal. Little iguanas grow
up.) Several books indicate crickets should be fed to tiny tot iguanas.
Rybak warns against this practice, however. In fact, too much protein
may eventually kill an iguana. "If you feel compelled to offer protein,
use a tidbit of tofu as a occasional treat," she says.
The regular baby
iguana diet should consist of mixed greens. Cut them into small pieces;
the best choices are kale, collard, mustard and dandelion greens. Because
spinach is easy to come by, owners often use it as a basis for the die,
but iguanas don't have much in common with Popeye. Too much spinach is
harmful. Rybak recommends topping each vegetable delivery with grated
carrots, squash or sweet potato. Fruit should only be offered as a special
treat.
For more info,
we recommend "Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual," by James Hadfield
III (Dunthorpe Press, Portland, OR, 1996; $28.50).
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