Watermelon is a refreshing and delicious fruit for humans. But can iguanas eat it too? Let’s find out!
Yes, iguanas can eat watermelons but in small amounts and only occasionally, as it is a high-sugar fruit. Also, due to the high water content, this type of melon can cause digestive upset if consumed excessively.
Watermelon isn’t the worst thing to offer your pet iguana, but it isn’t the best either.
Is Watermelon Healthy For Iguanas?
Although watermelon can provide some beneficial vitamins and minerals to iguanas, it should not be relied upon as a major source of nutrition.
As the name suggests, watermelon is mostly water and has very little nutrients compared to other fruits.
For this very reason, watermelon has been classified as “poor” in the Animal Veterinary Hospital of Orlando Iguana care guide.
Nutritional Content Of Watermelon
| Name | Amount |
| Water | 91.4 g |
| Energy | 30 Calories |
| Protein | 0.61 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.5 g |
| of which sugars | 6.2 g |
| Fiber | 0.4 g |
| Fat | 0.15 g |
| Calcium | 7 mg |
| Phosphorous | 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 10 mg |
| Potassium | 112 mg |
| Vitamin A | 28 µg |
| Vitamin C | 8.1 mg |
As you can see in the table above, watermelons have 91.4g water content per 100g and very little fiber.
Another reason why iguanas cannot eat watermelons as a staple food is because of its calcium to phosphorous ratio.
How Much Watermelon Can An Iguana Eat?
The recommended serving size and frequency for iguanas is a few cubes of watermelon every two weeks.
You might want to offer watermelon even less frequently if you have never fed your Iguana before.
Watermelon should not make up more than 10% of your iguana’s total fruit intake.
How To Feed Watermelon To An Iguana
Your Iguana will enjoy watermelon best if you serve it over a variety of leaf-based salads. You can also serve watermelon cubes on top of calcium-rich vegetables along with another fruit such as a chopped-up fig.
- Remove the outer shell and seeds first. (Neither of those should be fed to iguans).
- Slice the watermelon into bite size pieces
- Place them on top of your Iguana’s next salad
Can Iguanas Eat Watermelon Rind?
There is nothing wrong with the rind itself but it can be a choking hazard. We recommend avoiding watermelon rind altogether.
Iguanas cannot bite through watermelon rind, despite their sharp teeth. You should therefore peel the rind off the melon before slicing it.
Is It Safe For Iguanas To Eat Watermelon Leaves?
Most parts of a watermelon are edible. Iguanas love eating greens, and they will also love watermelon leaves. Just like the pink part, watermelon leaves also contain many beneficial nutrients.
Feeding them watermelon leaves won’t hurt your iguana as long as you don’t overdo it. Don’t forget to give the lizard other vegetables too.
It is easy to prepare watermelon leaves for iguanas.
- Make sure the leaves are thoroughly washed
- Cut them into manageable pieces
- Serve alone or with a mix of other vegetations
Iguana teeth work best when harvesting leaves. Iguanas can eat leaves even as babies because they’re born with teeth.
Can Iguanas Eat Watermelon Flowers?
In addition to leafy greens and fruits, Iguanas also enjoy eating flowers. Watermelon flowers are particularly attractive to them because of their bright color.
Watermelon flowers are hard to find since they’re generally not sold in stores. However, it may be possible to get the flowers from your garden if you have a few melons growing.
Besides being rich in nutrients, watermelon flowers are also easy to digest, so your iguana won’t experience any digestive problems.
Conclusion
Iguanas can eat watermelons but not on a regular basis. Because it has a lot of water and very less nutritional value, it should not be fed to an iguana more than once every two weeks.
