Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

It’s That Time Of The Year Again, Iguana Eggs, Nesting.

I will be honest here, having an iguana means having Easter twice per year.

Do you remember, as a kid, getting up during Easter morning looking for the eggs that your parents hid around the house and yard.



Well, if you have a free roaming iguana like myself, be prepared to look for iguana eggs behind the couch, under the bed or around every nook and cranny.

And for those of you who do not celebrate Easter, I’m sure you understand what I am talking about.



But before I discuss iguana eggs, lets first realize raising a female iguana is difficult sometimes, you have put in countless hours and money to sustain your happy socialized lizard who enjoys watching you and spending time with you.



Then one day suddenly you notice she is staring to change color with rusty attributes along her dewlap, spikes, arms, back, and tail.

You’ll also notice that her behavior has changed for the worst, acting anti-social, mad for no reason, irritable.

This is a good indicator that it is the onset of breeding season or sexual maturity.

A close up of Brutie’s iguana eggs.

Female Iguana, Should I Panic?

If you’re panicking because you had your iguana sexed and found out she is a she, there are important things you should consider that may or may not reduce your stress levels.



Around 16-17 months of age, you will want to boost your female iguana’s calcium intake to help prepare for her becoming gravid or also known as being pregnant.

Iguanas become sexually active and mature at around 18 months if they are healthy, this gives you around 6 months to prepare for this moment by building and selecting a spot for them to lay eggs.



Female iguanas do not need a male around to lay eggs, nor do they need them to produce the eggs, similar to chickens.

I find January or February is the time my female iguana will start her iguana eggs journey, sometimes later, it all depends.



It is no longer a source of comfort to you knowing that your green iguana has not been around a sexually active male iguana since you owned her from day one, and now she will give birth to a hatch of eggs because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.



You sometimes notice that your iguana during the breeding season may not show any signs of being gravid and may not lay any eggs at all.

Some iguanas will re-absorb the eggs back into their system if they cannot find the proper time and place to lay the eggs.



So basically not all female iguanas will carry their eggs to term, and lay them, which can be said, not all male iguanas will attack you on sight during the breeding season.



How To Identify A Gravid Iguana?

There are many signs of your iguana becoming gravid, such as behavioral and physical.

When you compare the male and female iguanas, one of the major differences between them during the breeding season is the males will hardly eat anything and the females will eat a lot to prepare.



The food and water intake will increase a month before the breeding season and continuing into the first month, and they will not gain any weight.

Building up fat stores is the main task for the female iguana to help them sustain throughout their pregnancy and to develop their eggs.



Their taste for food will taper off if they don’t become gravid.

As your iguana is eating heartily, she may go defecate more often than usual, lets say your iguana pooped 2 times per day, you may notice her pooping 2 more times after those but in much smaller portions.



You will also observe that the coloring and texture of her urine may change, turning to a brownish or yellowish and thick along with other bits of crystal formations.

In the second month, you will notice a change with her physical appearance if she develops eggs.



The eggs inside her becoming larger and compressing her intestines leave little room for food intake.

She will then eat less and less to the point of her eating pretty much nothing for up to a month or more, she will also poop less in frequency.



Therefore, mix some calcium and multivitamins into her water for her to drink as this is pretty much all she can ingest.

Her urine by this time may be a thick, dark yellow and viscous.



Iguana Eggs.

A Gravid Iguana Time Table.

Week 1-4 The iguanas appetite stays pretty much normal. The iguana’s mood changes, and she becomes restlessness and uneasy. Week 4-5 Her appetite decreases more and more as the eggs inside of her grow larger and compress the intestines inside, making it harder for her to eat food. Her water consumption increases. Your iguana’s poop becomes smaller. The urine will look dark yellowish and thicker with whitish grains. The iguana may be less active and quieter, more receptive to petting and attention. You as an iguana keeper should by now have a nesting box ready for her along with a veterinary checkup. Week 5-6 Your iguana will eat off and on, only taking in tiny amounts of food at a time. She will drink more frequently, trying to stay hydrated. The poop and urine will be less and less. With the reduced food intake, your iguana may not show signs of weight loss, the eggs inside of her will make her look fuller. But her fat storage pads will decrease in size, and the base of the tail will show her hip bones more. Week 6.5-7 You will begin to feel round bulges along the side of her abdomen, from her ribs to her tail. Week 7.5-8 The tail and hips are thin and bonier. The body is still round and full, filled with developing eggs. The round bulges at the sides of her abdomen are more apparent and easy to see, and somewhere around 5-7 days later, your iguana will be ready to lay her eggs. It may still take longer or shorter depending on the environment your iguana is in.

What To Do In The Event Of?

Once you see the first signs of her urine and feces change with a huge appetite, you will need to plan and taking the necessary steps to give her the calcium and fluids needed.



Lots of fluids are a good thing, so your iguana will be able to produce the yoke for her eggs and to keep her own body running like a well-oiled machine.



Your iguana eggs can range from 12 to 60 depending on the age, so it is important to make sure your iguana is well hydrated like I mentioned earlier or problems may arise making difficult to lay eggs.



Now moving on to calcium, you will also need boost this and it is just as important as hydration.

Your gravid iguana will be deficient in calcium, and she will need the calcium for her bones and organs to stay strong throughout her term.



Calcium would also be needed for her iguana eggs to develop and shells.

Your iguana hypercalcemic range will be borderline or problematically high outside of breeding season, but once your female iguana lays her eggs or re-sorbs them and resumes eating normally, her calcium levels should return to normal.



More info here.

Increasing Fluids.

So when it comes to increasing fluids for your iguana, you will want to provide fresh water daily.

Make sure you clean and refill as often as needed, and if your iguana is not taking enough fluids, give your iguana daily baths if you’re not doing so already, because some drink more while having their baths.



You could even go a step further by setting up an ice cube or drip system over their water bowl to help stimulate them to drink more.

In the past I have used various water fountains that you can purchase online that will help some items I recommend are the Exo Terra Waterfall that come in 3 different sizes.



So there are various brand names that you can pick from, I would recommend setting the base of the waterfall into a plastic container that way your iguana can drink the water freely from anywhere around it, because sometimes if the iguana is large, it could have troubles drinking from the waterfall itself.



If your green iguana doesn’t mind taking food from your hand, then try offering her leafy greens that have been dipped in water, or anything that has a good amount of water in it.

As a treat, try offering watermelon, this will help with the increase in fluids.



Female iguanas overcome their reluctance from eating out of your hands, especially in the later stages of their gravidity.

Typically, iguanas will not move from their egg laying spot to go eat, they just can’t be bothered and most do not have the energy, they will stay to guard their iguana eggs and take the offerings from your hands instead.



Another good method of providing water is to use a spray bottle and soak her leafy greens with water, and you may also use fruit juice into her salad.

A spray bottle can provide water to your iguana, some iguanas will accept the water that way.

Randomly spray your iguana with water throughout the day, because this will also keep them hydrated.



Your iguana may take in water using the eyedropper or a syringe right into their mouth.

Getting fluids into your precious girl is extremely important with all the long-term kidney problems that are very common in healthy captive iguanas, therefore I will talk about increasing calcium in my next article.



Just try your best to get fluids into your iguana anyway you can, lots of baths is recommended and boost the humidity if possible.

You might have to go to your local vet for subcutaneous fluid injections if whatever it is you’re doing is not enough.

Increasing Calcium.

Now that we cover increasing the water, we will now talk about increasing their calcium, these calcium products will come as a powder and liquid form that you can add your iguanas salads and water.

Adding calcium carbonate to your gravid iguanas food or water can be as much as five to six times a week, being that they had a very good start with their serum levels.



There are signs of calcium deficiencies that you should look out for such as bumps felt down the spine, tremors in the legs, leg bones swelling, low overall energy, and swelling of the lower jaw, this will be a very good time to boost calcium levels.



It is always good to have a visit with your local vet to discuss blood work to see where your iguana is as far as calcium serum levels and the best way to supplement calcium.

Vet Visit Time…

Talk to your vet if your unsure if your iguana is gravid or not, or if you have never had experience with a gravid iguana before.

He or she will want to check on your iguana and provide you with the best solutions possible to keep your iguana happy and healthy during the difficult time.



You will always want a Plan B, especially during weekends and evenings (after hours), therefore, talk to your local vet in case emergencies arise, and they always do.

Usually, your vet will want you to call him or her or have you call a colleague that has experience with gravid iguanas with most problems such as your iguana having troubles laying her iguana eggs.



If you suspect that your iguana may suffer from calcium deficiencies or if your iguana had MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) in the past, speak to your vet about administering NeoCalgucon (A liquid calcium product used to treat MBD and dystocia), this is always good to have on hand for after hours in case problems arise.

Building a Maternity Ward.

Now it is that time to build your iguana a safe place to have here iguana eggs, yup! that means another building project.

We often refer to this place as an iguana nesting box or iguana egg laying box, and this project does not have to be complicated to build, but it must meet certain standards.



Gravid iguanas will burrow into the ground, around three feet under in the wild, building an egg laying chamber where it is safe to do so.

She will then backfill and bury her burrow once done laying her eggs, so unless you have a place for your iguana to dig and burrow, make her the next best thing with what you have lying around or purchased.





Very Basic Nesting Box.

Iguana Nesting Box...

You will want to use something that is moisture and claw proof.

Here are a few examples of what iguana keepers have used in the past:

A moderate rectangular doghouse.

A simple wooden box made for this purpose.

A large plastic storage bin with a lid.

A large plastic garbage bin with cutouts, the type that you takeout to the street, not a little under the cupboard type.

Two large kitty litter bins, with one over the other to form an enclosure (inverted).

Or just one large covered kitty litter enclosure.

So whatever you use as an iguana egg laying box, it’s obvious that will need to provide a way in and out by cutting an access hole.

This opening will also have to be positioned in the upper portion for the box so that your iguana can enter and start digging downward as they do in the wild.



If you attach your nesting box with two pieces, then you will need to secure them both together well enough so you may move the box without it coming apart on you.

There is also a very high chance your iguana may disassemble the box while digging around in there so it needs to be strong enough to stay together but at the same time, it will need to be constructed so you may take it apart for refilling or cleaning.



If you’re going to use two kitty litter bins inverted together, carve or cut the opening in the shorter part of the bin. Depending on how strong the material used for the bins is, it may be difficult to cut, so I would recommend using a soldering iron to make a series of small holes in the door’s shape then a small saw to cut through them from one hole to another.



You could also use some heavy duty shears to cut the opening, then use the soldering iron to smooth the edges a little.

As far as fastening the two bins together, you could use duct tape, or you could drill a series of holes through the rims of the bins and use hard wear such as bolts and nuts to keep it tightly together.



When using garbage bins or storage lidded bins, just apply the same techniques above for cutting out the hole.

Lay the garbage bin on its side, then cut the access hole in the lid that will be near the top.



TIP!

Whatever route you go with, be sure that you can easily break down your nesting box for easy storage, because you will need it for next year.

Also keep in mind that if your iguana is not fully grown, you may need to provide a larger nesting box for next year, and maybe the year after that.

Iguana Nesting Dirt or Media...

With making the perfect makeshift nesting box, you will need to focus on a few things like type of soil, sand and moisture levels.

Make sure the moisture is in such as a way that the dirt will not collapse on your iguana as she is digging around in there, so you will have to experiment with the consistency and I will give you a starting point below.

14 quarts of potting soil free of perlite and chemicals.

10 cups of water.

1 quart of sterilized play sand.

!. Start mixing your sand and soil together.

2. Add around 6 cups of water to start and see what the consistency is.

Mix it into the sand/soil mixture gradually.

3. Check to see if the mixture is easy to move and dig but holds in place, depending on mixture you may need to add more water or soil and sand until at the consistency is where it should be.

4. Now fill the mixture into the nesting box but leave enough room for your iguana to get in and out, also leaving her room to move around freely.

Exhausted Mama.

Iguana Nesting Box Placement.

Placement of your iguanas nesting box is not that important, but there are a few things we must consider first.

We must make sure that the nesting box is very dark with little light and we meet a certain temperature range of around 30 degrees Celsius or 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can place the box in the warm area of their habitat, or if your iguana free roams, place the box in a less busy area of the house where it is quiet.

You may place a heating pad under the nesting box for added heat but make sure the heating pad has room to breathe, you may also place the box close to a heat registers or place a heat lamp near the top of the box.

Check the consistency of the soil and sand periodically as the heat with dry it out.

So mix in warm water as needed until we achieve desired consistency and keep this up for as long as takes.

TIP!

Try placing down a tarp or cloth then lay the nesting box on top to catch whatever soil comes flying out of the box as your iguana moves and kicks, even with those long skinny toes of hers, they have a way to throw the soil far from their box.

This will make cleanup easier and you can reuse the soil as needed.

So now that everything in place for your iguana, it is time to introduce her to the nesting box.

One of two things might happen here, she will accept the nesting box as is and heads in to do her thing or she will walk away from all of your hard work setting up the perfect maternity ward.

If she walks away, you will need to move the nesting box to another area of the house, preferably to an area that she spends a lot of time at or maybe find a darker place, maybe try covering up the entrance hole a little more using a towel or cloth.

Either way, this may turn into a lengthy process for you and your iguana.

A place to sleep after the iguana eggs were laid.

Iguana Eggs and the Laying Process.

Expect to see a lot of eggs anywhere from 12 to 60 depending on the age of your iguana.

So with in the first 10 to 12 hours from the start of her laying the eggs, she should have most of them out of her if she is a healthy and slightly hyper calcemic iguana.

She should in most cases have all of her eggs out with in 24 hours, but if she doesn’t, then it is not the end of the word, just give the time and space needed to finish the job.

At some point she may leave the nesting area to take a break but will come back to finish up at a later time.

This is normal and things are going to plan as needed.

If you find that your iguana is having a rough time pushing the eggs out, this may be partly because of her not having the room to climb with in her habitat to build up strength, therefore it is important to provide your iguana a suitable place to climb and the space needed to move around.

Click here to see an idea of a decent terrarium I built for my 1-year-old iguana Brutie back in 2010.

This also leads me to another important point.

If your iguana is calcium deficient or hypocalcemic, she might be too weak to lay her eggs properly with shells being poorly formed.

Your iguana will become weaker for every push she attempts, which can also lead to dystocia development.

Dystocia is when your iguana has egg retention or egg binding, it causes this because of the oviduct has become deformed or by obstructing the pelvis making it hard to pass the eggs through and the eggs could become deformed and oversized at the same time.

It talks about dystocia here.

Dystocia can create a host of problems with one of them being the chance of an egg rupturing inside of your iguana causing an infection because of the yolk sitting inside of the abdominal cavity.

If you notice any symptoms such as depression or her being lethargic with the lack of energy to nest, then take her to the vet right away to seek medical help.

Also, if you notice any other signs of difficulty in her laying the eggs like straining, growing weaker, twitching, termors, or jerky, which could be calcium deficiency then get her to your local vet as soon as possible.

After the Iguana Eggs-Laying Process.

So now that the iguana eggs have laid, and the task is finally over with, your iguana will look like she is half dead and super skinny/bony.

The first place she will head towards is the basking area to rest under the heat lamp, this would be a good time to her some water and a little calcium supplement mixed in to help her regain the nutrients she needs.

Taking Care of Mama…

You will also want to provide her favorite foods high in calcium which you can find here, fresh leafy greens, some NeoCalglucon with mashed up banana does the trick.

So now that your iguana has had a day or two to rest and regained energy, it is time for a well-deserved bath to get all the soil off, you may need to drain the tub and refill with clean water to rinse her off more.

Once your iguana is in large amounts of water, they may drink more, so it is important to make sure the water is clean for her.

She will be weak and burned out still, so you will have to keep a watchful eye on her.

Give her lots of water as you normally would, as soon as you see her regaining her strength, you can resume her normal bathing schedule.

In the upcoming weeks, your iguana will want to sleep more often, eat, bask and repeat.

Remember, we want her to get in that calcium so let eat as much as she wants whenever she wants.

Allow the calcium intake to be boosted for a month or two, keep track of her signs, making sure she is returning to normal.

Keep feeding her foods such as avocado (without the skin), banana mashed and higher calorie fruits, figs work good also if she enjoys it.

Within a couple of months, your iguana should be well on her way to regaining all the weight that she had lost and her coloring and behavior will return to normal.

If for some reason or another she doesn’t return to where you think she should be, then go visit your local Vet to have her checked out.

Delivering iguana eggs is not an easy job for our green iguanas, we must provide all the comforts we can to help them through.

Resting Time For Mama

Conclusion.

When looking at the big picture it is a huge responsibility to keep and raise a green iguana, or any iguana for that matter.

There are roughly over 1 million iguanas imported into North America every year with them all looking for new homes.

It is paramount to decide whether or not you will breed?