How to Mate an Iguana

Iguanas reach sexual maturity at around 18 months of age, at which point they can be bred. Mating iguanas, however, takes much preparation, patience and care. Iguanas can be violent and even dangerous during the breeding season and the window for mating two sexually active partners is relatively small, as males are susceptible for copulation for 30 days while females only 7 to 10 days. You must already have prior experience with iguanas before attempting to mate them as well as an appropriate enclosure that includes all the of the necessities for iguana care. Iguanas tend to enter their breeding seasons in the spring.

Things You'll Need

  • Proper enclosure
  • Breeding pair
  • Nest box (plastic tub)
  • Play sand
  • Tupperware containers
  • Vermiculite
  • Egg incubator
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Instructions

  1. Identifying Breeding Season

    • 1

      Check the male for enlarged femoral pores to indicate whether he is ready for copulation. The femoral pores are small protrusions along the edges of their back legs. Also check for stray semen lying around the enclosure as well as an orange tint in the iguana's scales.

    • 2

      Examine the female's belly for large bumps. These are the developing eggs inside her. This condition is known as being gravid. A gravid female may also develop orange tinting in her underbelly.

    • 3

      Note the behavioral changes in the iguanas. The female will stop eating for several days or weeks when gravid. The male will become more aggressive and bob its head or it may whip its tail.

    Mating

    • 4

      Set the temperature of the enclosure to between 82 F and 86 F. Any temperature over 88 F could be detrimental to the developing eggs.

    • 5

      Cut a hole in a large plastic tub large enough for the iguana to fit through comfortably to serve as the nesting box. The tub should have a lid. The nest box needs to be big enough to hold the adult female iguana. A rubbermaid roughneck 25-gallon tub works as well as an enclosed litter box.

    • 6

      Fill the nesting box with about 5 inches of sand. Add water to the sand until it is moist and clumpy. The tub will serve as a nesting box for the female iguana and is where she will lay her eggs.

    • 7

      Introduce the breeding pair to the enclosure and await copulation. This could take several days as the two animals get to know each other.

    • 8

      Observe the two animals closely as you wait for them to mate. The male may attempt to mate with the female and be rejected several times. Separate the animals if things become violent and one is injured.

    • 9

      Wait for the female to lay her eggs in the nest box after mating. She will dig through the box and may lay her eggs at night. When the mating is finished you can either keep the pair together or put them in separate enclosures. The male can continue to breed if you introduce another gravid female, which can be useful if you desire multiple clutches.

    Caring for the Eggs

    • 10

      Fill the tupperware containers about 1/2 of the way up with dampened vermiculite (2 to 1 vermiculite to water ratio). These containers will each hold one egg. You will obviously need as many containers as you have eggs.

    • 11

      Set the egg incubator's temperature to between 82 F and 86 F. Any more than 88 F could be detrimental to the developing embryos and possibly lead to death.

    • 12

      Warm the container in a microwave for 1 1/2 minutes then store it in the incubator until you are ready to place an egg in it. This will keep the containers from becoming too cold and shocking the developing embryos.

    • 13

      Remove the eggs from the nesting box and place each one within a container of vermiculite. Put a lid on each container with air holes to allow for air circulation.

    • 14

      Set each egg container in the incubator. The eggs should hatch after 60 to 90 days. Consult an iguana juvenile care sheet to learn how to take care of the babies.