Reptiles and amphibians make unique pets. They have few emotional demands, but they do have precise physical needs. And because pet reptiles and amphibians are in cages and can't seek food on their own, they depend on you for the right nourishment. Some reptiles and amphibians have considerably long lives, so be prepared for that.

Before you bring home your new pet iguana, purchase all the necessary supplies and equipment, and make sure the enclosure is roomy enough for your iguana’s size. Daily baths are part of iguana care, so be sure you know how to bathe your iguana correctly, and be on the lookout for certain conditions that require a trip to the veterinarian.

You can house your terrestrial turtle or tortoise in a number of ways: glass aquariums, commercially designed reptile cages, home-built wooden enclosures, and plastic swimming pools. However, before you decide which type of cage to use, you need to figure out how large it should be. In addition, you need to make the cage escape-proof.

Your shelled pet may not have the warm fuzzies of more ordinary choices, but turtles and tortoises definitely have a cool factor that mammals can’t touch. As the owner of a turtle or tortoise, you enter a world with a whole new vocabulary and a different set of records to keep.

Being completely ready before you bring home your iguana is essential, and a lot goes into creating the proper iguana home. To make things as stress-free as possible for you and the iguana make sure the new enclosure and furnishings are set up early. Here's a list of necessary equipment and supplies (which is the same no matter how old the iguana is): The enclosure 1 55–100-gallon enclosure 1 reptile under-tank heat pad or human heating pad 1–2 daytime overhead heat sources (white basking lights, a basking light and ceramic heating element [CHE], or an incandescent household light bulb) 1–2 nighttime overhead heat sources (nocturnal heat light and/or CHE) 1 light fixture for each overhead heat source (porcelain sockets are required for CHEs) 1 UVB-producing fluorescent tube long enough to stretch across the width of the enclosure 1 fluorescent light fixture 2–5 appliance timers to automate the heat and fluorescent lights 1–2 table lamp dimmer switches (or rheostats) or a hard-wired thermostat to regulate the heat source output 1–2 power strips (6–8 outlets each) 3 thermometers to be placed in the enclosure to monitor temperatures 2–3 units of suitable substrate, including extras to rotate in and out as they become soiled 1 hide box (a box your iguana can hide in) 1 branch or shelf for basking Food, vitamins, and supplements Fresh supply of iguana-friendly food Multivitamin Calcium supplement First-aid supplies 1 container of blood-stop powder or a box of cornstarch 1 bottle of Betadine (povidone-iodine) 1 tube of triple antibiotic ointment 1 reptile veterinarian Other stuff 1 water bowl 1 food plate 1–2 food storage containers for salads and greens 1 set of cleaning and disinfecting supplies (sponges, paper towels, gloves, cleaner, disinfectant, etc.

Iguana communication is physical. Their words are formed by the arrangement of their body and body parts (posture), movements (stylized walking, strutting, bobbing), and use of three-dimensional space (where they're in vertical space, seeking height or flattening out). Iguanas, then, have developed a limited (in human terms) vocabulary, one that — like some spoken languages — has some very subtle nuances in pronunciation.

An iguana can be injured several ways. Sometimes the injury is obvious; sometimes it's not. When the injuries are minor, you can often treat the injury yourself, but knowing whether an injury is minor — or knowing when it goes from being a minor problem to a major one — is the tricky part. If you're new to iguanas, or you've never encountered and dealt properly with the condition before, don't fiddle around with it.

The first thing to know when considering an iguana for a pet is that several different types of related lizards have the word iguana in their name, including the helmeted and casque-headed iguanas (Corytophanes and Laemanctus), the desert iguana (Dipsosaurus), the Madagascar iguanas (Chalarodon and Oplurus), the spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura), the rock and rhinoceros iguanas (Cyclura), and the green iguana (Iguana).