Do Iguana Spikes Grow Back?

Sometimes iguanas lose their spikes. This may be due to a parasite- like mites or improper shedding. I can't say in general that all iguana's spikes will grow back, in fact they may never grow back. Iggy was lucky enough to only have lost a few from when she was a baby and now has them growing back.

The process is extremely long and takes years for them to grow back to anything significant looking. I found a few pictures dating back to the beginning of this year showing one particular spikes journey. Here are the pictures:

If you click on the picture, you can see the green paint is the date. I used these pictures for a post on the Green Iguana Society message board. This picture is from April 2009.

This is from June 2009. This picture was taken in the Penske moving truck we rented to come to Chicago. It's like the teeniest little micro spike ever.

This is from the end of July 2009. Still quite tiny but bigger than the previous two. At this point when Iggy shed her spikes, this little spike actually had it's own individual spike shed.

And this is from October. The spike is in full regrowing mode.

 I took this picture yesterday!

She has a couple other spikes that are currently growing back, too. With each shed it seems like the spikes grow a few millimeters. I was told that spikes can never grow back but Iggy is living proof they do come back with the proper care.

Male Iguana's Hemipenal Bulge

One way to tell if you've got a male iguana is by looking for the hemipenal bulge that is present in males around 1.5 years old. The hemipenal bulge is an area that is present on male iguanas (and other certain other herps) right near the base of their tail, near the vent. It appears to have a sort of swollen look to the area. This bulge is actually the inverted hemipenes which are the reproductive organs that male iguanas have tucked up inside. I don't have much experience with males but from what I've been told males sometimes flash their hemipenes after defecating and of course, before mating or humping a love toy ha ha.

Adam, from the Green Iguana Society message board, was nice enough to let me use this photo of his male iguana Falkor to show the hemipenal bulge. In this picture Falkor was found sleeping on his back! (I think this picture also belongs in my previous post about funny iguana positions!)

 Enlarge the picture so you can see close up :)

All iguanas have a sort of "fold" around their vent but what we are looking at is the actual fatter area right below the vent. Also notice Falkor's enlarged femoral pores.

Anapsid's site with information on hemipenes: http://www.anapsid.org/hemipenes.html

Is Your Iguana Turning Brown?

Over the last couple weeks I have had a variety of concerned iguana owners contact me about color change. If you notice that your iguana has changed to a darker color and has stayed like that for more than a couple hours there are a few things that can be going on. The majority of igg owners figured out it was due to change in outside temperature thus affecting the inside temperature of their iguana's enclosures.

First, check to make sure that her temperatures are in the right range. Around 88-95F, up to 100F for adults, in the basking spot and around 75-85F in the rest of the enclosure. A cold iguana will turn to a darker shade as they are trying to absorb more heat to warm themselves up. Also, make sure you have a working UVB light. Just because your UVB light is still putting out light doesn't necessarily mean it is putting out UVB. Most need to be changed every 6-10 months, depending on the brand/type.

If you find that your igg's temps are good, think about any external stresses (internal would be like parasites, etc) your iguana may be going through. Did you add a new pet to your home? Does your iguana see other reptiles or animals? Igg's may feel threatened by new people or animals, even people outside the window on a regular basis can be enough to spook an iggy. Keep loud noises, screaming kids, and barking dogs away from where your iguana regularly lives. We can't shield our iguanas from everything all the time, but a constant stress can change your iguanas color. Often a brown or gray color, especially on the head, can be a sign of stress.

Next, if there is an actual problem your iguana will probably look more brown/yellow, sort of tinged with darkness, rather than the milky dull color they get when shedding. I remember when Iggy was quite young and for the first 4-5 sheds, I always forgot what was going on. I'd notice the dull color creeping up on her neck or tail and I would freak out! With enough observation and time, I realized this is a normal occurrence for healthy shedding iguanas. However, if your iguana is not shedding but his head is turning gray this is often a sign of something else going on.

Something else you should consider is how long it took for your iguana to change colors. Has the darkening/browning change occurred quickly- let's say in only a matter of days to a couple of weeks? Or has it been a few months? I am unsure if this goes for all iguanas, in a general sense, but I know that over a course of about 6 months Iggy turned from a brilliant green blue hatchling color to an olive green, brown, black color. This is completely normal and depends on where your iguana's country of origin is.

Finally, is the color actually black? If it's black do you see spots that are raised or even fuzzy? This can be a fungal infection and a vet visit is required.

Here are some great links, some with pictures, too- showing and explaining iguana skin changes:

http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/skincolor.html
http://www.greenigsociety.org/shedding.htm
http://www.greenigsociety.org/colors.htm

If your iguana changed to a brown or gray color and is also lethargic, less hungry or alert this could be signs of something very serious. Please contact your vet, your Iggy needs you!

Here is a sort of mini color time-line of Iggy's colors:

Green and tiny

Green and medium tiny with a browning neck/head/spine area

Olive green, striped, brown, black, gray, bright green belly

How Can That Be Comfortable? (Funny Iguana Poses!)

Iguanas are funny animals; they love to sleep, eat and hang out in some pretty uncomfortable looking positions. I've owned many pets but I've never seen them do any of the crazy poses and positions that iguanas somehow love to do. I asked fellow Green Iguana Society forum members to submit some of their funniest shots to post here on the blog. I'm sure everyone, not just iguana owners, will find these pictures to be quite comical.

Submitted by "Stacey from TN"

Submitted by "Mindy"

Submitted by "Adam"

Submitted by "Shawn"

 

Submitted by "teo"

 

Submitted by "Robin"

Submitted by Jarett:

And here are a few of Iggy:

 

Hope you all enjoyed them!

Dewlap Greetings

Iggy has recently really started using body language as a way to communicate. It is pretty effective and I can pick up on all of her cues easily. Within the last two weeks I have been getting a "hello" dewlap extension. It usually happens when I come home from work but sometimes in the morning, too. It's really amazing how they have control over that crazy flap of skin.

Also, notice the little clump of old food/skin in the corner? She's been shedding AGAIN and also has decided that digging through her food to look for grapes, sweet potatoes and/or bread is a good idea. I walk past her enclosure and see 1/2 of her food thrown around with her nose buried in it looking for the last bit of her favorite food ha ha.

Iggy the Trick Iguana!

Sometimes when Iggy and I hang out together I tend to bother her. I can tell by the way she gives me that iguana stink eye. I can't help it, she's so cute I wish she'd want to play like a puppy. Unfortunately, she's not that good at playing. I do like to put things on her head so she flicks them off and eats them (I'm easily amused, it's true.)

Ta-da!

Posing very nicely ha ha

I've read that you can "play" with your iguana to some extent. Depending on your igg's personality, playing a sort of chasing game may be possible. I'm not entirely too sure any iguana would like that considering how spooked they get over tiny things. Letting your iguana climb up trees, across the curtains or inside a closet (provided he won't get lost in there!) will provide enough entertainment and fun.

Iguanas also LOVE to look out windows, probably more so than any dog or cat I've ever met. If you are constructing your iguana's enclosure I STRONGLY urge you to place it next to a window. This is a really great idea for any iguana but especially one who may be home alone most of the day. I've also known a few iguanas to enjoy watching fish inside fish tanks, too.

If you are thinking of getting an iguana, please make sure they are going to have exploring time. Iguanas like to watch the world from a nice warm spot so don't assume they can just be locked away in a cage and not need interaction!

I'm pretty sure she's saying, "Leave me alone!"

Neat picture

Back home she goes!

Fun and Exercise for Your Iguana!

Iguanas love to climb, it's only natural for them! Prior to owning an iguana, I thought they just wandered around dry climates and hung out in the sand; pretty ignorant of me! As I mentioned before, soon after moving to Chicago we purchased a 7 foot silk ficus tree for her to climb on and she's still loving every moment of it. It's especially important for growing iguanas as well as female iguanas to get in their fair share of exercise. Not only does it help to strengthen bones, keep them happy but also helps to prevent female iguanas from becoming eggbound. I know Iggy is at the age where she may become gravid, so I want to take every precaution to ensure it goes smoothly. Plus I just love to see her enjoying the tree!

I see you!

She almost fell asleep here! I make sure to spray her with water a lot to keep the humidity up. Actually, I'm considering buying a second humidifier to place under the tree to try and give her the most natural environment.

 Here she is on her favorite branch! I also enjoy feeding her collard leaves while she's lounging in the tree.

Once your iguana is tame enough to wander and climb under your supervision I highly recommend purchasing or making something for him to climb on. We bought the ficus tree used from craigslist! You can also put up shelves with ropes or nets or use certain cat scratcher posts, too. Most of this stuff is being given away or sold for cheap on ebay or other sites.