How to Breed Helmeted Iguanas

The helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) grows to a length of up to 14 inches. A distinctive hump, or helmet, rests atop the iguana's head. The female's hump usually appears much small than the male's. The iguana's body boasts shades of yellow, black, tan and brown. The helmeted iguana breeds throughout the year, unlike other iguanas that have no set breeding season. In the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, the helmeted iguana spends the majority of its life in the tree canopy. Therefore, it requires a large cage in captivity with ample branches to climb.

Things You'll Need

  • Captive enclosure
  • Rubber tub container
  • Tray or rubber tub container lid
  • Sand
  • Full spectrum lighting
  • Water bowl
  • Heating pad
  • Balanced diet
  • Vitamins and minerals
  • Incubator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a slightly smaller male in the enclosure with the female iguana. A smaller male is less daunting to the female than a big male. A pushy male will often pick a fight if the female is unwilling to breed. Even the best pair will normally sustain bites and injuries during the often rough breeding.

    • 2

      Place a rubber tub containing approximately 20 pounds of moist sand into the iguana's cage. Cut away one end of the container so the female iguana can climb into the sand and burrow down to lay her eggs. Consider affixing a tray or plastic lid to the top of the rubber container to give the female iguana the illusion of entering a tunnel.

    • 3

      Maintain full spectrum lighting over the helmeted iguana enclosure for 13 hours per day. Because the helmeted iguana thrives in a humid environment, consider placing a bowl of water on a heating pad in the enclosure to increase the surrounding humidity levels. Maintain the temperature at 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Do not allow the temperature to dip below 68 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

    • 4

      Provide the breeding pair with a daily well-balanced diet that consists of spiders, pinkie mice or earthworms. Consider feeding commercial iguana food. Supplement their diet with an iguana-approved vitamin and mineral supplement.

    • 5

      Watch the female closely for an indication that she plans to lay her eggs. The female will start to dig around in the moist sand. She will usually lay her eggs during the night. The helmeted iguana lays six to 11 eggs.

    • 6

      Remove the eggs and place them promptly into an incubator. Take care when removing the eggs because the female iguana often guards them. Incubate the eggs at 82 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain the humidity in the incubator at 60 to 80 percent. The eggs will hatch in 60 to 80 days.