{"topic_id":"evidence_exotic_iguana_husbandry_health","category":"evidence","context":"---\ntopic_id: evidence_exotic_iguana_husbandry_health\ncategory: evidence\ntitle: \"Evidence cluster — Green iguana (Iguana iguana) husbandry, health & nutrition (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search, first-hand peer-reviewed abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_iguana_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-01\ntokens_estimated: 4672\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 5\n  passed: 5\n  date: 2026-08-01\nsource_document: \"Peer-reviewed Green iguana husbandry/health/nutrition literature (Europe PMC, first-hand abstracts)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Europe PMC\"\n  title: \"Evidence cluster — Green iguana (Iguana iguana) husbandry, health & nutrition (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC)\"\n  url: \"https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-08-01\"\n  doc_type: \"first-hand abstracts (Europe PMC REST)\"\n  needs_review: false\ncopyright_note: \"Mixed licensing per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3: Open Access (CC BY) studies retained verbatim with attribution; non-Open-Access studies paraphrased as derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten).\"\nlicense: mixed\nauthority_tier: T2\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T2:oa-repo\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n# Evidence: Green iguana (Iguana iguana) husbandry, health & nutrition\n\nSource: Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search — first-hand peer-reviewed abstract records, pulled 2026-08-01.\nQueries covered husbandry, health/disease/parasitology, and nutrition/feeding for Iguana iguana.\nThe cluster returns **5** representative studies with abstracts below. Abstract text is verbatim from source; each study is traceable by PMID.\n\n## Studies\n- **PMID 41472398 (2026, Anatomia, histologia, embryologia)** — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A cadaveric anatomical study described the cardiovascular system of the green iguana (Iguana iguana) — the sinus venosus drains into the right atrium via a bicuspid valve; the ventricle's cavum arteriosum/venosum/pulmonale show a spatial pattern distinct from other squamates; the right aortic arch gives rise to both carotid trunks; and the absence of lateral abdominal veins supports avoiding drug administration in pelvic limbs/tail to prevent renal/hepatic first-pass effects, with relevance to surgery and diagnostic imaging in reptile medicine.\n  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41472398/\n- **PMID 41568016 (2026, Ecology and evolution)** — Predicting the Potential Spread of Invasive Reptiles From Hong Kong and Taiwan to Other Regions of China.. Abstract (opening): Biological invasions pose significant threats to global ecosystems, with invasive reptiles causing particular concern due to their increasing spread through international trade and potential range expansion under climate change. This study investigated the potential spread of five invasive reptile species that have established breeding populations in Hong Kong and Taiwan but have not yet invaded mainland China. Using the Maximum Entropy algorithm in Species Distribution Models, we integrated global occurrence records with current and future environmental variables to predict suitable habitats and potential distribution changes under different climate scenarios. We assess invasion risk based on the current and future distribution ranges of suitable habitats for invasive species. Our study results indicate the brown anole (<i>Anolis sagrei</i>) has the widest predicted distribution range, with suitable habitats across most regions of China, thus posing the highest invasion risk. The veiled chameleon (<i>Chamaeleo calyptratus</i>), Brook's house gecko (<i>Hemidactylus brookii</i>), and the green iguana (<i>Iguana iguana</i>) also present elevated invasion risks, as their suitable habitats are primarily located in southern China. In contrast, the monarch gecko (<i>Gekko monarchus</i>) has extremely low invasion potential, with only a small number of suitable habitats found along the southern coastal regions of China. Temperature and precipitation emerged as the primary factors influencing species distribution. Future climate projections indicate that the suitable habitats for all species will significantly expand, with distribution centers notably shifting northward and inland, particularly under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios. This study underscores the importance of species-specific management strategies and enhanced biosecurity measures, especially in regions identified as high-risk areas. It provides valuable evidence for developing proactive measures to prevent the spread of these high-risk invasive reptiles from Hong Kong and Taiwan into mainland China. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*\n  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41568016/\n- **PMID 42307566 (2026, Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS)** — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A crossover study in 8 adult green iguanas (Iguana iguana) evaluated a behavioral sedation scale (eye opening, head height, muscle tone, handling, righting reflex; total 1–14) after intramuscular midazolam (2 mg/kg) vs. saline; midazolam significantly increased sedation scores from 10–120 min, internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach α = 0.835), but interrater reliability was variable (47.8% of videos had >1-point disagreement), suggesting training is needed for clinical use. (Source excerpt truncated.)\n  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42307566/\n- **PMID 41317138 (2026, Veterinary medicine and science)** — Detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis in Reptiles in Thailand.. Abstract (opening): Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are significant intestinal protozoan parasites affecting humans and animals worldwide. These infections are transmitted through the faecal-oral route, by contaminated water, food or close contact with infected hosts. The zoonotic risk of transmission from reptiles is considered low; yet, limited research exists regarding Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections in these animals. This study investigated the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis in reptile faecal samples from a breeding farm in the Chonburi Province, Eastern Thailand. The test population included 363 iguanas, 50 tortoises, 79 bearded dragons and nine snakes. DNA extraction from faecal samples was performed, followed by nested PCR for Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis, and all positive samples were sequenced for molecular characterisation. Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis were detected in 13 and 25 out of 501 faecal samples, respectively. Specifically, seven of 363 iguana samples and six of 79 bearded dragon samples tested positive for Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium avium was found in 11 samples, and one sample revealed Cryptosporidium serpentis; the remaining sample could not be identified at the species level. For G. duodenalis, 15 of 363 iguanas tested positive, along with six of 79 bearded dragons, two of 50 tortoises and two of nine snakes. Only G. duodenalis assemblage B was identified in positive samples. This study provides epidemiological information on the infection rate and distribution of species of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in a breeding reptile farm in Chonburi Province, Eastern Thailand, and the findings are discussed in the context of the scientific literature. SUMMARY: This study represents one of the largest surveys on Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis in reptiles. Cryptosporidium avium, typically associated with avian hosts, was the predominant Cryptosporidium species identified in iguanas and bearded dragons. Giardia duodenalis assemblage B, known for its zoonotic potential, was the primary assemblage found in iguanas. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*\n  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41317138/\n- **PMID 42043688 (2026, Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology])** — Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Mammaliicoccus sciuri and Staphylococcus spp. isolated from reptiles undergoing rehabilitation in Northeastern Brazil.. Abstract (opening): Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wildlife-associated bacteria represents a growing One Health concern. This study described the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Mammaliicoccus sciuri and Staphylococcus spp. isolated from reptiles undergoing rehabilitation in northeastern Brazil. Oropharyngeal and cloacal samples from 87 reptiles yielded 87 isolates identified by MALDI-TOF MS, and antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion. Five bacterial species were detected, with a predominance of M. sciuri (79/87; 90.8%). Resistance to oxacillin was the most frequent finding (40/87; 46.0%), followed by erythromycin (16/87; 18.4%), while resistance to other antimicrobials remained low. In total, 46/87 (52.9%) isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 12/87 (13.8%) were classified as multidrug-resistant, mainly from bacteria isolated from Iguana iguana, Chelonoidis carbonaria, Boa constrictor, and Tupinambis teguixin. MAR indices ranged from 0.00 to 0.86, with values > 0.20 in 25.3% of isolates. These findings indicate that rehabilitating reptiles may act as reservoirs of oxacillin-resistant staphylococci, reinforcing the need to include wildlife rehabilitation centers in AMR surveillance strategies. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*\n  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42043688/\n\nSource text: `pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_iguana_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt` (Europe PMC first-hand abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01).\n\n## License & attribution\n\nMixed licensing per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3: Open Access (CC BY / CC BY-NC /\nCC BY-NC-ND) studies are reproduced verbatim with attribution under their specific\nCC license; non-Open-Access studies are paraphrased as derived fact summaries\n(numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten). Original records:\n- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41472398/\n- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41568016/\n- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42307566/\n- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41317138/\n- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42043688/\n\n## Cleaning removal log (2026-08-05, codebuddy)\nPMID 41749246 — Tegu (Salvator merianae) iridophoroma — different species\nPMID 42064744 — Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) fecal microbiota — different species\nPMID 42121815 — Reptile respiratory anatomy review; generic, no iguana named\nPMID 42121721 — Tiletamine-zolazepam exotic-pet anesthesia review; no iguana named\nPMID 41745956 — Shingleback & spiny-tailed skinks — different species\nPMID 42041919 — Alien herps Sub-Saharan Africa review; generic, no iguana named\nPMID 42070614 — Already labeled 'Off-topic: … mis-clustered' (tick systematics, iguana only incidental)\n","sources":["Europe PMC — Evidence cluster — Green iguana (Iguana iguana) husbandry, health & nutrition (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC) (retrieved 2026-08-01)"],"source":{"authority":"Europe PMC","title":"Evidence cluster — Green iguana (Iguana iguana) husbandry, health & nutrition (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41472398/","retrieved":"2026-08-01","ref":"PMID 41472398","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Peer-reviewed Green iguana husbandry/health/nutrition literature (Europe PMC, first-hand abstracts)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_iguana_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt"},"source_document":"Peer-reviewed Green iguana husbandry/health/nutrition literature (Europe PMC, first-hand abstracts)","source_file":"pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_iguana_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt","trust":{"authority_tier":"T2","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"mixed","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":600,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}