Species keeper protocol

Iguana iguana - Colombia population

Colombian Green Iguana
A Colombia-locality protocol anchored to published nesting ecology from the Depresion Momposina. Exact Colombian provenance should override country-level rainfall timing where known.

Day ambient27-30 CTropical year-round; no brumation
Basking surface37-40 CBroad basking shelf plus shaded retreat
Humidity78-90 / 86-95%Drier Jan-Mar, wetter from Apr onward in the northern-lowland default
Breeding cueMaintain body conditionNesting late Jan-Mar; hatching mainly Apr-May
This month: October Full annual schedule Download PDF Print QR label

Keeper timer setting

T5 UVB: one hour later on, one hour earlier off

During active care — ON: 1 hour after daylight starts.
OFF: 1 hour before daylight ends.

During hibernation / full brumation: T5 UVB OFF (0 hours). In transition months, keep UVB off while dormant and use the active timer only once the animal is warmed and active.

October: daylight 11.9 h; T5 UVB 9 h 54 m.

The active T5 duration is the photoperiod minus two hours. Example: daylight 08:00–20:00 means UVB 09:00–19:00. Follow the monthly UVI strength measured beneath the tube and provide access to shade. This timing rule does not introduce hibernation for species whose schedule has only a mild or active winter rest. If an older combined heat / UV column is present, the new T5 UVB duration column governs UVB timing; existing heat settings are preserved.

UVI beneath the optional T5 tube

Working exposure target

October target at normal back height

UVI 4-6directly under the tube when it is on

The retained range remains a provisional captive working target. No new species-specific result was found that clearly requires a numerical change. Retaining it is not certification of an experimentally established optimum.

Your measuring point

Measure at the animal's normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the T5 strip, positioned toward the middle/back. The animal can enter and leave this area freely.

Keep a lower-UVI gradient and fully covered refuges near UVI 0. This is the optional exposure area, not the average across the cage.

Use a UV Index meter, such as a Solarmeter 6.5/6.5R. Warm the tube for about 30 minutes; keep reflector, guards and mesh in place. Raise or lower the fixture within its manufacturer's minimum-distance guidance, then recheck the reading and every higher accessible surface.

Evidence level: Provisional retention. These are working recommendations, often inferred; exact species optima and seasonal UV dose usually have not been measured. Log lamp-on time and animal behaviour as well as UVI.

Baines et al. (2016), UV-Tool · Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10

October management

Selected automatically using the Netherlands date

Maintain body condition

Northern Colombian lowlands / Magdalena-Momposina riverine and tropical dry-to-humid forest default

27-30 CDay ambient
24-25 CNight
37-40 CBasking
4-6T5 UVI*
11.9 hPhotoperiod
9 h 54 mT5 UVB duration
78-90 / 86-95%RH day / night*
Frequent rainRain / mist
7Food days/week

Annual schedule

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MonthDay ambientNightBaskingT5 UVI*PhotoperiodT5 UVB durationRH day / night*Rain / mistFood days/weekSeasonal management
January28-31 C23-25 C38-42 C4-611.7 h9 h 42 m62-75 / 75-85%Light AM mist; drier phase6Breeding / nesting begins
February29-32 C23-25 C39-42 C4-611.9 h9 h 54 m58-72 / 72-82%Drier; 2-3 light mists/wk6Main nesting period
March29-32 C24-26 C39-42 C4-612.1 h10 h 6 m60-75 / 75-85%Rain starts increasing5-6Late nesting / incubation
April28-31 C24-26 C38-41 C4-612.3 h10 h 18 m72-84 / 82-92%Frequent showers6-7Main hatching begins
May28-31 C24-26 C38-41 C4-612.4 h10 h 24 m76-88 / 84-94%Wet; regular rain/mist7Hatching / female recovery
June28-31 C24-26 C38-41 C4-612.5 h10 h 30 m74-86 / 82-92%Wet-season showers7Juvenile growth / browse abundance
July28-31 C24-26 C38-41 C4-612.4 h10 h 24 m72-85 / 82-92%Frequent short showers7Growth / recovery
August28-31 C24-26 C38-41 C4-612.3 h10 h 18 m74-87 / 84-94%Wet; regular showers7Peak plant growth
September27-30 C24-26 C37-40 C4-612.1 h10 h 6 m76-88 / 85-95%Wettest phase7High browse abundance
October27-30 C24-25 C37-40 C4-611.9 h9 h 54 m78-90 / 86-95%Frequent rain7Maintain body condition
November27-30 C23-25 C37-40 C4-611.7 h9 h 42 m74-86 / 82-92%Rain easing7Condition toward breeding
December28-30 C23-25 C38-41 C4-611.6 h9 h 36 m68-80 / 78-88%Transition drier6-7Courtship / breeding condition

Keeper notes

Use measured gradients and animal behaviour, not single thermostat readings

T5 UVI measurement

Measure UVI at normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the optional T5 strip. Place the strip toward the middle/back with free access to and away from it; preserve a gradient into fully covered refuges near UVI 0. These numbers describe the exposure area, not the whole enclosure or a daily average.

UVI review

The retained range remains a provisional captive working target. No new species-specific result was found that clearly requires a numerical change. Retaining it is not certification of an experimentally established optimum.

Population identity

Use Iguana iguana - Colombia population unless a narrower locality is documented. Colombia spans multiple climate zones; preserve more precise provenance whenever possible.

Field breeding anchor

Depresion Momposina field work found nesting from late January through March and hatching mainly April-May.

Clutch size

34 monitored Colombian nests averaged 29.43 eggs overall. Study-area means were 27.8 eggs (12-44) and 33 eggs (21-56).

Nest design

Natural egg chambers ranged 9-98 cm deep and averaged about 43 cm. Provide 45-60+ cm of compactable slightly moist sandy-soil substrate for captive females.

Heat and UVB

Use about 27-32 C daytime air, 23-26 C nights and a broad 38-42 C basking surface. UVI around 4-6 at the main basking site is a practical captive target with shaded areas below UVI 1.

Rain and humidity

For the northern lowland/Magdalena default, keep Jan-Mar relatively drier, increase rain quickly in Apr-May and maintain a humid wet season thereafter. Never remove drinking water to mimic drought.

Diet

Plant-based diet dominated by calcium-rich leaves and browse, plus flowers and fibrous vegetables. Colombian natural-history material reports leaves as a major component, with fruit and flowers taken seasonally.

Incubation

Use established green-iguana methods where Colombia-specific controlled trials are lacking. About 28.5-30 C is a conservative artificial-incubation starting range with stable humidity and no overheating.

Locality warning

Do not cross known Colombian-origin animals with Caribbean island lineages or unrelated morph lines if geographic provenance matters.