A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Lizard food..

Hey,
My lizard Annabella needs some fresh greens so I'm going to start growing them for her.
I'm going to grow escrolle, mustard greens, raditoi(I don't think that's the right name) and some romain, maby grow some baby carots if I can.
The mixes of baby greens for salads in the stores seem to go bad in just two to three days.

I just wanted to get an idea of how many of each type I will need to grow if I just pick one to three baby leaves of each a day and just keeping them small. Also how long till I can start picking. I know phil and laura had lettuce growing last year inside. just a rough idea is fine so I don't end up with not enough and over work the poor little plants .
Thanks in advance.

*thinks* well how big is ur lizard? If its a lil iguana *3 ft or less*, i'd grow 2 things of lettuce, and probably 4 or 5 things of carrots, and all the others. That way you'll be sure to have a steady supply I donno how long it'll take for them to be okay to eat though >.<

Hey nako,
Thanks, She's only about a foot and she eats like a little bowl a day. What you suggested sounds good! I might grow some more though just incase I get hungry for a fresh salad
Here's a picture of her.

oh she is so cute...don't they eat bugs too?

She's pretty much vegetarien but can eat crickets every now and then. I think I'm going to start giving her a cricket once or twice a month becase if she can't see that my hand is attached to my body she tries to hunt my fingers when I give her treats. My freind who I adopted her from got her because she is also a vegetarien and didn't want to feel bad every time she fed her. Iguanas are compleat vegetariens so I guess she wanted some one different .
She's a cool little lizard in my opinion, great personality!

she's cute as a button

my sister's son had one and she was putting it out in the yard everyday in a large tank, well, it got out and they never found it. Had every kid on the block looking for it. I figured someone found it and just decided to keep it, they do cost some cash.

I got those little tree lizards in my yard, they like my flower seeds in the spring. I use chicken wire to cover my beds but they can get under it. They're cute too, tried to catch one in a jar for my daughter, she didn't care for the idea.

my computer RUDELY interupted me by freezeing up.It let me type my whole thing then would not send.then when saved saved the graffics from forum but NOTHEING from my message.So I have got my book back out of box now.
Acorn squash~not the rind.can use a peeler to slice it up.
alfalfa.grow this they love it and it will flower
aples as treats.I used applesauce,those snakc cups for babies no salt added.
Bananas on occassion peeling and all chopped
Beets and beet greens occassionally
bell peppers she loved um red/yellow/green.
blackberrys.I had to put them on bottom cause she'd pick the rasberrys& blackberrys out 1st and eat um.
broccoli on occassion chopped small,but they like the leaves better and is better for them.
butternut squash.another goody to feed regularly like acorn squash,no rind chop or shredd.
pricly pear pads thorns removed.is good source of calcuim
chickory greens(eats better mixed with mustards)
collard greens are good daily.
cilantro is good
cucumber ocassionaly
dandeline greens and fowers she could never get enough.i'd get from neighbors yard too cause she keept my patch eaten when outdoors.
Endive is good staple(I floated these)
Grapes are good treat.I'd toss in her mouth .you'd sit on couch eatin um...she'd come up and lay on top with mouth open begging..bopping head up& down.
green beans are good staple food.I'd grow bush beans.she'd munch on lower half when outside and leave me the top half for her salad.
hibiscus.she'll eat your whole plant.so don't spray your plant.If i still had her sh'd love me now with all the hibiscus.
honeydews& canelope are ok as treats.
Kale is good in small amounts occassionaly.its a salt green so not as good for them.and stored best washed ,dried, stored in damp papertowels, in plastic baggie with air removed from baggie.
Lettuces are NOT good for them cause are mostly water& not much nutrient for them& can give them the runs.
Mango is GOOD staple.stores easily too.you can chop it up and store small 2 day amounts in freezer.grow some in a pot too.
mustard greens(she loved these)
nasturuims(not the pot,they eat the roots too)
okra
papya(same storage way as mango)
parsely in small amounts
parsnips are good staple food,slice them with peeler.its a fiber food
snap peas are good staple food
spinich in small amounts.I gave her once weekly in her sunday feast,usually 1 leaf
tomatoes,she loved them.
turnip greens
water cress
whole wheat bread,she liked.you can smear fruit on it as a treat.

I also used a diet supplement that sprinkled on her food.was a tan powder.I know I don't have her or her protien now but the jar was white& was 1/4 tsp daily.it was a tan powder.I know it was calcuim fortified.I'd feed her 40% greens(dandelines/mustard greens collard greens/escarole/water cress)40% other veggies(greenbeans,squash~butternut&acorn/snow peas/parsnip/okra/Alfalfa(mature not sprouts)bell peppers ,jalpeno peppers,potato peelings
fruits 10%any of the fruits I listed.I did mostly blckberrys rasberrys,figs,papya,mango strawberrys.I usually did 3 each time& she really really loved rasberrys& blackberrys.
5% grains,you can give a lil cooked rice a lil cooked noodles&eggless noodles& wheat bread.
5% supplemental protien which mature alfafa meet plus her vitamin supplement.
I don't care for the canned diet they call food for iguanas.I can't blame some for not touching it and see some even are mostly protien and some animals are used in it.they don't eat bugs unless missing in something.

I didn't mean to double post.but it froze on me again,but saved my work this time.if you click my profile...under where we can post a link to a picture of ourselves is a link to my old ablums and are still some pics of her on there.in Issacs abulm.she was about 3 ft long and was 11 years old.she had a longer tail at one time but got in a disagreement with a dog.If you handle your iggy aot they are lots tamer& you can do more with them.I was able to let her sun outdoors in the day time,plus she had a room,but my computer& plants shared it with her and she had a couch as a bed and her wood tree you will see in some pics.she had a house of her own at one time and decided she didn't like it anymore(became a entertainment center for awhile for us) so she kinda moved into OUR house& was always haveing to move her lights around.then she got happy in my computer room but still hung out the rest of the house.so moved lights there and we settled down.she'd go in bathroom and get in tub and crap or do it in bathroom floor or ask to go out(yeah THAT alot ...as soon as sun was up would park in front of door and sometimes get impatient and swing tail against wall)Get a spray bottle with water and spray her all the time.it helps them shed skin.I used plant lights& a heat light both.

and I better post this before I get froze up again.Have fun with your iggy.I did with mine.we use to take showers together.she'd climb in and out freely.I got lots of video on cam more than pics.