Green Iguana
Grows VERY large; commonly surrendered — needs room-sized space
Overview
The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) is a reptile reaching about 5–6 ft and living 15–20 yrs. It is a herbivore, kept in a arboreal set-up. It is tolerant of occasional, gentle handling. With a typical lifespan of around 18 years, it's a long commitment.
Is the Green Iguana right for you?
A good match if — you can build and maintain the right climate and enclosure.
Think twice if — this is your first reptile — the husbandry here is demanding; space is tight — this species gets large and needs a big enclosure.
What a Green Iguana needs from you
The real work is the enclosure: correct heat, lighting/UVB and humidity, plus a lot of space — for this species, a tall, planted enclosure with climbing height. Feeding means fresh greens and vegetables daily. Get the habitat right and most reptiles are calm, low-drama animals.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Iguana iguana
- Adult size
- 5–6 ft
- Life span
- 15–20 yrs
- Diet
- herbivore
- Habitat
- arboreal
- Care level
- advanced
- Handling
- some
- Notes
- Grows VERY large; commonly surrendered — needs room-sized space
What it needs from you (at a glance)
| Space needed | |
| Experience needed | |
| Maintenance | |
| Time per day | |
| Need for company | |
| Handling / closeness | |
| Cost level |
What it costs
Scaled to this breed’s roughly 4 kg and a ~18-year life, keeping a Green Iguana works out at about:
Rough cross-breed averages in USD — a planning guide, not a quote. Break it down by life phase in the Cost Calculator →
Temperament (at a glance)
| Affection | no data yet |
| Energy | no data yet |
| Vocalness | |
| Trainability | no data yet |
| Tolerates alone | no data yet |