Can Iguanas Eat Carrots

Yes, Iguanas can eat carrots. This superfood gives them the ability to see better and aids in creating their scaly skin. Throughout this guide, we’ll explain why carrots are beneficial to iguanas and other vegetables you can feed them to promote good health. So let’s begin!

Can Iguana Eat Carrots

Yes, Iguana love eating carrots on occasion. Be sure to feed them a variety of foods to ensure they are healthy and happy. This will help keep their diet balanced and is a good way for your pet to try interesting and diverse foods. When they are younger, iguanas are omnivores, but they stick to a full herbivore diet when they become adults.

Since iguanas are mainly herbivores, fresh vegetables and greens should take up the majority of their diet. Giving them a balance of pellets and carrots is a quick way to help them grow.

Here are some videos of iguanas eating carrots.

Benefits of Feeding Carrots to An Iguana

Giving your iguana carrots throughout the week will do wonders for their health. Here are some reasons why:

Better Eye Health

Carrots are a great source of lycopene and lutein, which helps maintain good vision and good eyesight. Since they have a high count of Vitamin A, it will help your iguana see better. You’ll give your iguana the ability to see further and be more accurate with their eyes through carrots.

Reduce Inflammation

Now that we know that carrots are filled with important nutrients like beta-carotene and Vitamin A, they can add an anti-inflammatory edge to your iguana’s diet. Both of these nutrients reduce inflammation alongside luteolin and fiber. A single carrot can give your iguana over 10% of its daily fiber intake.

Increases Immunity

The beta-carotene in carrots helps produce Vitamin A inside the iguana’s body, which aids in defending its immune system. Vitamin A helps the iguana regenerate their cells and stay strong. Giving them carrots will increase their immunity to diseases and help them survive for the long term.

Reduces Blood Pressure

While reducing the amount of cholesterol, carrots are filled with potassium. Potassium can reduce the tension in your iguana’s arteries and blood vessels, which can bring down their blood pressure. So give your iguana some carrots to give them a healthy heart.

How to Feed Carrots To Iguana

On average, you should feed your iguana carrots 2-3 times a week. Doing this will help your iguana’s optimal nutrition and keep their bodies intact. Make sure you don’t overfeed them carrots, or else they’ll become bloated.

Start by cleaning the carrots before feeding your iguana. Place them in the sink and wash them with lukewarm water. This will help reduce the number of bacteria or germs present, keeping your iguana safe when they digest the carrot.

When giving your iguana carrots, make sure that they are in smaller pieces. Use a knife to remove the carrot tops, and then start chopping the carrot into smaller sections. This will help them digest the carrot without causing a choking hazard.

Iguanas love a feeding routine. The best way to feed them is by giving them their main meal in the morning and smaller snacks during the evening.

Make sure to feed them 3 hours before they go to sleep to ensure that they are on a set feeding schedule.

Can Iguanas Eat Carrot Greens?

Carrot greens are good for your iguana. You can mix the carrot greens with staple leaves to their diet. By giving them carrot greens, you’re giving your iguana the nutrients needed to survive and grow correctly.

Can Iguanas Eat Carrot Tops

Avoid giving your iguana carrot tops. They are high in oxalates, which can cause kidney stones if you feed them to them. If you’re going to feed them carrot tops, only feed them 1-2 times a week to prevent health issues from occurring.

Measure your iguana’s reaction to the carrot top after feeding them. If they appear too full, reduce the number of carrot tops or stop altogether.

What Other Vegetables Should I Feed My Iguana?

Most of your iguana’s diet should consist of 80-90% of vegetables, while the rest of their diet should contain fruit. Avoid giving them vitamin and nutrient deficient vegetables such as celery and head lettuce. These vegetables contain lots of water but no nutrients.

Your iguanas need calcium to survive. So feed them vegetables such as kale, bok choy, turnip greens, and collard greens. About 40-50% of your iguana’s diet should take up these vegetables. 30-40% of their diet should contain carrots, okra, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

While beet greens are a good source of calcium, you should not exclusively feed them to your iguana. These plants have oxalates that can prevent them from digesting food through their intestines and lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Also, mustard greens, cabbage, and kale have goitrogens. Goitrogens are chemicals that can enlarge the iguana’s thyroid and cause it to improperly function. Thus, you should give these vegetables to your iguana in small portions.

Cooked vs. Raw Vegetables For Iguana

You can feed them cooked or raw vegetables. However, raw is better because cooking removes the nutrients. Wash your vegetables to remove pesticides and debris before feeding your iguana. We suggest feeding your iguana organic produce as they tend to have fewer pesticides and toxic chemicals.

Flowers

Alternatively, you can give your iguana flowers. The flowers can be purchased from floral shops or grown at home. Usually, floral shops will throw out wilting flowers and give them to iguana pet owners for free. Make sure there are no chemicals on the flowers before feeding them to your iguana.

Conclusion

Again, it’s safe to give your iguana carrots. When giving them carrots, always make sure they are clean so they aren’t affected by pesticides.

Once you’ve given them carrots, you’ll notice a positive change in their health and mood. Conclusively, give your iguana a balanced diet of carrots and other vegetables to ensure that they have the nutrients needed to survive and grow into healthy adults.