1/2 cup shredded raw orange-fleshed squash (such as acorn, banana, kabocha, spaghetti, and pumpkin) - you can occasionally alternate with carrots
1/2-3/4 cup alfalfa pellets (rabbit food pellets) or crumbled alfalfa hay
1 med or 2 small raw shredded parsnips (in areas where these are seasonally hard to find, you can substitute with asparagus or cooked or canned lima, navy or kidney beans that have been well rinsed and minced or mashed. If you use beans, add extra calcium to offset their high phosphorus)
1/4 cup mashed/minced fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mangos, papaya, figs, cantaloupe, cactus pear)
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Makes about 3.5-4 cups.
Add in a multivitamin supplement (any multivitamin supplement for birds or reptiles is fine - best, actually, is a crushed Centrum tablet) and a calcium supplement. You do not need to get a calcium supplement that has phosphorous or D3 in it, as the igua na is already getting considerably phosphorous from the plants and multivitamin, and their D3 is best metabolized in their bodies by regular exposure to direct sunlight or special UVB-producing fluorescents.
If you will be freezing any of the food, mix in some Brewer's yeast to replace the thiamin (B1) that will be lost when the green vegetables are thawed.
Serve the salad in the morning. Once the iguana is freely eating the salad, greens (collards, mustards, dandelion, escarole, occasionally some kale and chard) can be served on the side. If the iguana will only eat the greens, stop feeding them greens an d only put down salad, fresh every day. When they start feeding on the salad and are generally clean-platers, you can then start offering greens in the afternoon. Once they assimilate that, you can serve the two together. The salad is actually more nut ritious than the greens, not the least of which because they can fit more of the salad into their guts, and it is more efficiently digested, than the greens. In no event should greens exceed 40-45% of the total diet.
Iguanas have evolved as late morning/early afternoon feeders; if you feed them when convenient for YOU rather than when they need to eat, you end up with an iguana who is not eating as much as it should and who is not digesting as effectively as it could. Iguanas can only extract out 40% of the nutrients in the food they eat, making it imperative that we not only feed them only healthy nutrition-loaded foods, but that we feed them at the proper times, as well.
Kaplan, Melissa. 1995. Iguana Salad. Available online http://www.sonic.net/melissk/ig_diet.html
Table 2: Calcium to Phosphorus Ratios
Food Item Prep Serving wt Ca P Ca:P collards boiled 1 cup 190 148 19 7.79 mustard spinach raw 1/2 cup 75 158 21 7.52 roselle raw 1 cup 57 123 21 5.86 lambsquarters boiled 1/2 cup 90 232 41 5.66 papaya raw 1 med 304 72 16 4.50 turnip greens raw 1/2 cup 28 53 12 4.42 coriander raw 1/4 cup 4 4 1 4.00 rose apple raw 3.5 oz 100 29 8 3.63 parsley raw 1/2 cup 30 39 12 3.25 amaranth boiled 1/2 cup 66 138 47 2.94 jute, potherb boiled 1/2 cup 43 91 31 2.94 dandelion greens raw 1/2 cup 28 52 18 2.89 cabbage, chinese raw 1/2 cup 35 37 13 2.85 beet greens boiled 1/2 cup 72 82 29 2.83 lettuce, looseleaf raw 1/2 cup 28 19 7 2.71 kale boiled 1/2 cup 65 47 18 2.61 kale, scotch boiled 1/2 cup 65 47 18 2.61 figs raw 1 med 50 18 7 2.57 pricklypear raw 1 med 103 58 25 2.32 orange, valencia raw 1 med 121 48 21 2.29 chickory greens raw 1/2 cup 90 90 42 2.14 figs dried 10 figs 187 269 128 2.10 orange, navel raw 1 med 140 56 27 2.07 cabbage, green raw 1/2 cup 35 16 8 2.00 carissa raw 1 med 20 2 1 2.00 kumquats raw 1 med 19 8 4 2.00 new zealand spinach raw 1/2 cup 28 16 8 2.00 spinach raw 1/2 cup 28 28 14 2.00 watercress raw 1/2 cup 17 20 10 2.00 onions, spring raw 1/2 cup 50 30 16 1.88 onions, spring raw 1/2 cup 50 30 16 1.88 endive raw 1/2 cup 25 13 7 1.86 lime raw 1 med 67 22 12 1.83 raspberries raw 1 cup 123 27 15 1.80 sapodilla raw 1 med 170 36 20 1.80 mustard greens boiled 1/2 cup 70 52 29 1.79 chard, swiss boiled 1/2 cup 88 51 29 1.76 leeks raw 1/4 cup 26 15 9 1.67 lemon raw 1 med 58 15 9 1.67 grapefruit raw 1/2 med 118 14 9 1.56 blackberries raw 1/2 cup 72 23 15 1.53 tangerine raw 1 med 84 12 8 1.50 grapes (slip skin) raw 1 cup 92 13 9 1.44 celery raw 1 stlk 40 14 10 1.40 sapote raw 1 med 225 88 63 1.40 tofu okara 1/2 cup 61 49 37 1.32 green beans boiled 1/2 cup 62 29 24 1.21 cabbage, red raw 1/2 cup 35 18 15 1.20 turnip boiled 1/2 cup 78 18 15 1.20 grapefruit (pink) raw 1/2 med 123 13 11 1.18 crabapple raw 1 cup 110 20 17 1.18 eggplant raw 1/2 cup 41 15 13 1.15 garlic raw 3 clves 9 16 14 1.14 jew's ear (pepeao) raw 1 cup 99 16 14 1.14 radish raw 10 rdsh 45 9 8 1.13 okra boiled 1/2 cup 80 50 45 1.11 acerola raw 1 cup 98 12 11 1.09 java plum raw 1 cup 135 25 23 1.09 tofu raw 1/2 cup 124 130 120 1.08 pear raw 1 med 166 19 18 1.06 mulberries raw 1 cup 140 55 53 1.04 apple, w/skin raw 1 med, 138 10 10 1.00 chives raw 1 T 3 2 2 1.00 lettuce, iceberg raw 1 leaf 20 4 4 1.00 mammy apple raw 1/8 med 100 11 11 1.00 persimmon raw 1 med 25 7 7 1.00 pineapple raw 1 cup 155 11 11 1.00 elderberries raw 1 cup 145 55 57 0.96 mango raw 1 med 207 21 22 0.95 gooseberries raw 1 cup 150 38 40 0.95 jackfruit raw 3.5 oz 100 34 36 0.94 currants, euro black raw 1/2 cup 56 31 33 0.94 watermelon raw 1 cup 160 13 14 0.93 soybeans, green boiled 1/2 cup 90 131 142 0.92 jujube raw 3.5 oz 100 21 23 0.91 cranberry raw 1 cup 95 7 8 0.88 honeydew mellon raw 1/4 cup 100 14 16 0.88 onoins raw 1/2 cup 80 20 23 0.87 rutabaga boiled 1/2 cup 85 36 42 0.86 pitanga raw 1 cup 173 16 19 0.84 dates dried 10 dtes 83 27 33 0.82 grapes (adherent skin) raw 1 cup 160 17 21 0.81 cabbage, savoy raw 1/2 cup 35 12 15 0.80 guava raw 1 med 90 18 23 0.78 cucumber raw 1/2 cup 52 7 9 0.78 guava, strawberry raw 1 cup 244 52 67 0.78 cherry raw 10 chrs 68 10 13 0.77 lettuce, romaine raw 1/2 cup 28 10 13 0.77 casaba melon raw 1 cup 170 9 12 0.75 currants, red & white raw 1/2 cup 56 18 24 0.75 strawberries raw 1 cup 159 21 28 0.75 sugar apple raw 1 med 155 37 50 0.74 broccoli raw 1/2 cup 44 21 29 0.72 apricot raw 3 med 106 15 21 0.71 oheloberries raw 1 cup 140 10 14 0.71 dock raw 1/2 cup 67 29 42 0.69 shallots raw 1 T 10 4 6 0.67 artichoke hearts boiled 1/2 cup 84 33 50 0.66 tamarind raw 1 cup 120 89 136 0.65 artichoke boiled 1 med 300 47 72 0.65 prunes dried 10 prns 84 43 66 0.65 kiwifruit raw 1 med 76 20 31 0.65 brussels sprouts boiled 1/2 cup 78 28 44 0.64 quince raw 1 med 92 10 16 0.63 french beans boiled 1 cup 177 111 181 0.61 cauliflower raw 1/2 cup 50 14 23 0.61 blueberries raw 1 cup 145 9 15 0.60 carrots raw 1 med 72 19 32 0.59 loquats raw 10 med 100 16 27 0.59 breadfruit raw 1/4 sm 96 17 29 0.59 cantaloupe raw 1 cup 160 17 29 0.59 cherimoya raw 1 med 547 126 219 0.58 fruit cocktail canned 1/2 cup 128 8 14 0.57 ginger root raw 1/4 cup 24 4 7 0.57 squash, summer raw 1/2 cup 65 13 23 0.57 apple, w/o skin raw 1 med 128 5 9 0.56 kohlrabi boiled 1/2 cup 82 20 37 0.54 parsnips boiled 1/2 cup 78 29 54 0.54 burdock root boiled 1 cup 125 62 116 0.53 soursop raw 1 cup 225 32 61 0.52 sweet potato baked 1 potto 114 32 62 0.52 raisins, seedless raw 2/3 cup 100 49 97 0.51 zucchini raw 1/2 cup 65 10 21 0.48 persimmon, japanese raw 1 med 168 13 28 0.46 raisins, gold seedless raw 2/3 cup 100 53 115 0.46 tomato, green raw 1 tomto 123 16 35 0.46 peach raw 1 med 87 5 11 0.45 navy beans boiled 1 cup 182 128 285 0.45 alfalfa sprouts raw 1 cup 33 10 23 0.43 pomegranate raw 1 med 154 5 12 0.42 soybeans, mature boiled 1 cup 172 175 421 0.42 great northern beans boiled 1 cup 177 121 293 0.41 asparagus boiled 1/2 cup 90 22 54 0.41 lupins boiled 1 cup 166 85 212 0.40 peppers, hot chili raw 1 peppr 45 8 20 0.40 raisins, seeded raw 2/3 cup 100 28 75 0.37 rice, white, enriched cooked 1 cup 205 21 57 0.37 black turtle beans boiled 1 cup 185 103 282 0.37 beets boiled 1/2 cup 85 9 26 0.35 mungo beans boiled 1 cup 180 95 280 0.34 hyacinth beans boiled 1 cup 194 77 233 0.33 banana raw 1 med 114 7 22 0.32 pink beans boiled 1 cup 169 88 279 0.32 pinto beans boiled 1 cup 171 82 273 0.30 carambola raw 1 med 127 6 20 0.30 broadbeans boiled 1 cup 171 62 212 0.29 chickpeas (garbanzos) boiled 1 cup 164 80 275 0.29 plum raw 1 med 66 2 7 0.29 avocado, Fla raw 1 med 304 33 119 0.28 tomato, red raw 1 tomto 123 8 29 0.28 nectarine raw 1 med 136 6 22 0.27 peppers, sweet raw 1/2 cup 50 3 11 0.27 avocado, California raw 1 med 173 19 73 0.26 mung beans, sprouted raw 1/2 cup 52 7 28 0.25 peas, green boiled 1/2 cup 80 22 94 0.23 peas, green raw 1/2 cup 78 19 84 0.23 lima beans boiled 1 cup 188 52 231 0.23 bamboo shoots raw 1/2 cup 76 10 45 0.22 pummelo raw 1 cup 190 7 32 0.22 kidney beans, red boiled 1 cup 177 50 252 0.20 black beans boiled 1 cup 172 47 241 0.20 water chestnuts, chin. raw 1/2 cup 62 7 39 0.18 jerusalem artichoke raw 1/2 cup 75 10 58 0.17 passion fruit raw 1 med 18 2 12 0.17 adzuki beans boiled 1 cup 230 63 385 0.16 rice, brown cooked 1 cup 195 23 142 0.16 lychees raw 10 med 100 5 31 0.16 cowpeas (blackeyes) boiled 1 cup 171 42 266 0.16 potato (no skin) raw 1 potto 112 8 52 0.15 peas, split boiled 1 cup 196 26 195 0.13 lentils boiled 1 cup 198 37 356 0.10 mushrooms raw 1/2 cup 35 2 36 0.06 longans raw 31 lngn 100 1 21 0.05 arrowhead boiled 1 med 12 1 24 0.04 mung beans boiled 1 cup 202 55 2041 0.03 corn, yellow boiled 1/2 cup 82 2 84 0.02 mothbeans boiled 1 cup 177 6 265 0.02
Key:
A listing of "2.00" represents a ratio of 2:1, etc.
NOTE: The treats listed above can be mixed in the iguana salad on a semi-regular basis. They should not be fed as a staple (where that's all the iguana eats all the time). As with all animals, a healthy variety of good foods is recommended for iguana s.
These all make good treats and will not harm the iguana. Mellissa Kaplan's basic diet is the best thing to use as a staple diet with these as treats only. The above chart on Calcium:Phosphorus levels should be observed when choosing alternative dieta ry supplements. Iguanas need a 2:1 Calcium:Phosphorus ratio to maintain their systems (skeletal, digestive) in good health. Both too high (hypercalcemia) and too low (hypocalcemia) calcium levels in the system can be fatal to iguanas (and humans for tha t matter).
Also, when selecting alternative dietary supplements, be aware that the Brassica (cabbages, kales, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach) family contains calcium binders that will not allow the iguana to properly process the existing calcium in the diet. Calc ium processing is very important in the prevention of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) in which the calcium is taken from the bones to maintain the systemic functions. This results in weakened bones, swollen jaws, eventaul paralysis and death. For more info rmation on MBD, see Melissa Kaplan's Iguana Health documents.