Although quite controversial, Iguanas are still among the most popular animals that are being captured and bred. In fact, these creatures are often imported from Central and South America. Breeders typically make money out of iguana nests. They sell the baby iguanas and breed the adults. However, you should be aware that breeding these reptiles have certain advantages and disadvantages.
For instance, building iguana nests and breeding iguanas is fun and profitable. Even if iguanas are usually sold for a low price, you can still make a pretty good amount of money. However, you should know that these reptiles can easily increase in number. They grow fast that is why you need to have a spacious housing prepared for them. Aside from the housing, food may also be a problem. Obviously, the more iguanas you have, the more food you have to buy.
Make sure that you provide them with water, proper food, and housing. Only those who are fit and healthy can survive. If you want to earn a decent amount of money from selling iguanas, see to it that you take care of these creatures well. When building an iguana nest, consider various materials such as potting soil and sand. You can use pure potting soil, pure play sand, or half play sand and half potting soil.
Among these options, pure play sand is the best. Using pure play sand would make digging and burying eggs easier for the female iguana. Also, not like with potting soil, play sand does not make the iguana filthy. The eggs laid on play sand remain nice and clean; hence, they become free from fungus attack during incubation. You should always keep the nest clean to prevent harmful organisms from growing.
Regularly removing and discarding feces as well as uneaten food will keep the reptiles free from diseases. In addition, remember to place male and female iguanas together, especially during the mating season. Group them according to ratio and size. It is ideal to have one male iguana and two or more female iguanas in a nest. You will notice that male iguanas are smaller than the female. This is because the female iguana might kill the male if it is bigger than her.
Nonetheless, you should also monitor the laying of eggs in the iguana nests. There are instances in which a female iguana fails to lay eggs. If this happens, you should have the iguana x-rayed. Some of the eggs might be stuck in the rib area. If the female iguana does not lay all her eggs, she might consequently suffer from health problems.
Of course, you should also ensure that the nest is safe to dwell in. It should not contain objects that can cause the iguanas to have scratches, cuts, abrasions, and other injuries. It should also be able to hold up to two hundred pounds of soil. You should also put in a play area for the iguana. This does not have to be made of expensive materials, though. You can create a simple tunnel from a wooden box or a tray planter with one side cut off.