Iguanas are very smart and aware of their surroundings. Right now they choose flight instead of fight, but as they grow larger, they are equipped with sharp claws and a massive tail they can use to whip you with. This is why we only sell young iguanas once a year which would be a good age to start working with.
They eat leafy greens such as spring mix, dandelion, arugula, swiss chard, edible flowers and Mazuri tortoise pellets (to name a few). They require fresh water and food daily, which of course would be part of your grocery shopping.
Arcadia UVB lamp kit and Heat lamps are most important for proper basking temperatures, digestion and health. Digital temp/humidity gauges are required. Due to their tropical native habitat, the enclosure must be kept 60-80% humidity, with a spike at night to 100% ideally.
The enclosure is the big ticket item here. The minimum size you can start this off with is an Atasuki 48x19x48" terrarium. This will be suitable until the lizard is about 2-3 feet long and at that time you should have started building a custom enclosure or purchasing a 10x4x6 foot grow tent, as the new minimum for the adult size. They are too young to sex, females get about 5 feet and males 6-7 feet long. They can of course be out of their enclosure for some time to hang out and spend time with, but depending on the weather (winter, cold, etc) they require access to bask under their heat and UVB lamps as they would in the wild in Mexico/South America. The lamps should cover their entire body so depending on the size of tank and lizard, multiples will be required.
They can be a rewarding and very cool pet for sure, which is why they were so popular back in the day. However, with proper care and enclosure size being neglected, this led to many being abandoned or mistreated. We advocate for more than the minimum enclosure size, proper handling/training, and suitable dietary care.
Captive bred: no