missing spines

Question
hi i have a green iguana that is approximately 3 years old, my question is quite a few of the spikes/spines on the middle of his back are missing or falling off.   does this mean hes sick or is something missing from his diet or is he dehydrated? right now he is going thru his aggressive stage (looking for a mate) and im not sure if that has anything to do with it.  otherwise everything appears to be ok he eats regularly and is very active.

Answer
Hi Christine, The most common is poor shedding. If his "spikes" are falling off or becoming black and dead like then it is usually because of shed, the skin doesn't come off and causes that problem. It is common but can be avoided by proper humidity and bathing.

I haven't heard of much else causing it besides shedding difficulties besides just bashing around and breaking them off but it would appear as a break not just falling off and usually you can tell the difference.

But it sounds just like poor shedding. Be sure when he sheds that all the skin comes off his spikes. If humidity and bathing doesn't help let me know, there are a few more options to help just dont pull at the skin.

Good luck,
Yexalen