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One big misconception that people believe is that if you put your iguana in a small cage, he/she will only grow as big as the cage. Hummm....WRONG! I have heard this many times. Aside from the fact that it is cruel and inhuman, what will end up happening is that your iguana will be very unhappy, stressed, malnourished, and weak from no exercise. Iguanas need a lot of room. If you do not have a room to spare or a room that you can dedicate most of it to an iguana's living space, then you shouldn't have an iguana. An iguana’s enclosure needs to be at minimum 2-3 x their snout-tail length in width (side to side), 1-1.5 x their snout-tail length in height (tall), and 1-1.5 x their snout-tail length in depth (front to back). So, for a 6-foot iguana you’re talking 12-18 feet x 6-9 feet x 6-9 feet. Yeah you got it, that is pretty damn big. Excuse the language. For me personally, I preferred to build a cage. When building a cage you need to remember that your iguana is going to grow very fast so I would make the cage expandable. This way you are not building a new cage every year or so. Here are some links to some really nice cages that can help you get an idea. Cages by design, Cazics place, Iguana World, and Custom cages.
Heat Iguanas get their heat from the sun while basking. To properly stimulate appetite and to digest their food, iguanas need to have their basking area between 88-95° F (31-35° C). The rest of their enclosure must sustain a thermal gradient (temperature range from cool to warm). For all iguanas, the daytime gradient should be between 76-95° F (24-35°C). At nighttime the temp should be around 84° F (28.8° C). Adults (18 months old and at least 9 inches snout-vent length) can tolerate nighttime drops to 70° F (22° C), and younger iguanas not below 73° F (23° C). But I do not suggest letting the temperatures fall that low, keep it around 84° F (28.8° C). Without the correct temperatures your iguana can get very sick and die. There are many different ways to keep your iguanas enclosure at the right temperatures: 1. Basking lights. These come in different wattages and produce heat. You can find these at most pet stores or you can get one at Big Apple. 2. Ceramic Heating Elements (CHE's). Theses screw into porcelain light sockets and do not produce any light. They are good for nighttime use and daytime. They get very hot so you need to monitor the temperatures in the enclosure. Do not use any other fixture for these but a porcelain one on account of the heat they produce. Last thing you or your iguana wants is a fire. 3. Human heating pads. These are good for night and daytime use on a low setting. Do not use this as the only heat source. Iguanas need heat from above them to surround their entire body. When the blood in the vessels near the surface of the iguana is warmed up, it circulates throughout the body warming the iguana. You can use human heating pads in conjunction with a basking light or CHE. 4. Reptile heating pads. These cost more then human heating pads. They stick to the bottom of the tank and cannot be removed for use any place else. 5. Incandescent bulbs. These or your normal light bulbs that you use in your house. They do produce heat and are relatively cheap. My own setup is basking lights, CHE's and a human heating pad. You can choose which is best for your and your iguana’s situation. Make sure you have several thermometers in different parts of the cage. This way you can monitor the temperature at all times to be sure they are correct.
NEVER use a hot rock. They can cause serious burns. All too often, their internal temperature regulator fails, and the rock becomes hot enough to severely burn and sometimes kill the iguana. This includes all of the new and improved models. Reptile veterinarians and popular literature have said for years that hot rocks should not be used but guess what? They still sell them and most pet stores promote the use of them. UVB & UVA Iguanas need UVB and UVA rays that the sun naturally gives off. UVB (range 290-320 nm) is essential in the synthesis of vitamin D3, a vitamin that is required to metabolize calcium. Without D3 only about 15% of the calcium is absorbed in the body. There are products and vitamins out there that have D3 in them (giving orally). Do not use these. There is evidence that exists that states that iguanas do not absorb vitamin D from food. They make their own vitamin D with UVB rays. There are also products out there that are spray on body or skin vitamins. These are bogus and just a way for the manufactures and pet stores to make money off of you. Reptile skin is designed to keep body fluids inside the body. They cannot absorb anything though their skin. UVA (range 320-400 nm) affects the way things look to reptiles (color of food, objects, ect...). It also influences reproduction, has positive effects on iguana behavior, and stimulates social behavior. If UVA is not provided it will cause stress by changing the iguana’s perception of the environment and how they respond to it. In order to provide UVA and UVB, a full spectrum fluorescent bulb is needed. A regular fluorescent bulb that is used in people’s homes will not work nor will a fluorescent made for plants and aquariums. Incandescent lights and other basking and heating lights marketed specifically for reptiles do not produce the necessary UV radiation and should only be used to provide heat. Just because it says "full-spectrum" on the package do not mean the light produces the necessary UVB, or any UVB at all.
The full spectrum fluorescent bulb needs to produce 5% UVB. The ones that I would use are Reptisun 5.0 from Zoo Med, Iguana 5.0 from Zoo Med, and Vita-Lite fluorescent tubes from Durotest (You can buy those in most pet stores or at Big Apple). There are other UVB producing lights out there that produce more then 5% (mercury vapor, Active UV, Reptile-D lights, and Zoo Med's PowerSUN). These should not be used because it has been determined that anything over 5% is dangerous and may cause a metabolic bone disease from a D3 overdose not to mention eye disorders and skin cancer. UV rays will not penetrate through glass. You can't have glass between the iguana and the full spectrum bulb. The bulb should be no more then 18 inches from the iguana or it will do the iguana no good. The UV rays dissipate as you get further away from them. The basking light and full spectrum light needs to be in the same area (in the basking spot because iguanas are going to spend most of its time there).
Note: The heat light needs to be placed in a spot where the iguana cannot reach it and get burned. The fluorescent needs to be long enough to go the length of your iguana or pretty close to it. Make sure you replace the bulbs every 6 - 8 months because they lose their UVB over time even if the bulb is not burned out yet. Now the rule of thumb for the light times is, 12 hours on and 12 hours off. One very important thing is that iguana's need dark to sleep. This means that there can be no white light, not even a TV. Iguanas have a parietal eye that senses changes in light and dark so even if they appear to be sleeping, they are not getting that deep sleep they need. If they are not able to get their rest then they will get stressed which can cause health problems.
Humidity Iguanas come from hot and humid areas. Humidity helps in their shedding and the prevention of kidney failure. Humidity levels need to be about 85-95%. There are several different ways to raise the humidity; 1. Warm mist humidifiers add moisture to the air. 2. Misting the iguana with a misting bottle 2-3 times a day. 3. Put a large bowl full of water in the cage. 3. Daily baths are very good. (The bath water should be about 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit and the depth should be about up to their neckline or about the top of their front legs). 4. You can also buy humidity products from pet stores or at Big Apple that will help out (waterfalls, misters, foggers, etc). The cage will need to be cleaned regularly because the high-humidity levels can cause growths of mold and fungus. Not to mention, the cage should be clean for health reasons anyway. Furniture 1. Branches - Iguanas love to climb. Branches, ropes, towels, and other things can be used. Branches need to be approximately 1 - 2 times the width of your iguana's body. If branches from the out side are used, you need to make sure that there are no mites or creepy crawly things in it (soak the branch in a bleach water solution. Its 1/2-cup bleach to one gallon of water. Soak for 24 hours then rinse very well. Soak the branch again for 24 hours in plain water making sure that you refresh the water several times to get out the bleach. Then the last step is to let it completely dry. You should also do this with the driftwood you get from pet stores because they to can carry mites in them as well. Always secure the branch to the habitat. If the branch falls, it could land on the iguana causing injury. 2. Ledges - A wide shelf is great to bask and rest on. Iguanas rather lay horizontal than clinging vertical or diagonally when resting. The ledge/shelf needs to be secure to the habitat. 3. Real plants - These can be used in the cage but be sure that they are not toxic for the iguana (click here for a site with a list of toxic plants). If you do use real plants be warned that your iguana is going to eat and destroy it. Fake leaves or vines may be better but you must make sure that your iguana is not eating them. That can cause bowel impaction, which can be fatal if not caught in time. 4. Hide Box - A hide box or two should also be provided. Young iguanas need a place to run and hide in when scared or stressed. As the iguana becomes an adult you can get rid of it when he/she no longer needs it. 5. Rocks - rocks that are 5" - 10" in diameter on the bottom of the cage (you don't want one to fall and possibly hurt your iguana) can allow the iguana to rub against it to help rid shed. 6. Food dish . 7. Water dish - Iguanas do need fresh water supplied to them every day. Even if you never see them drink, it does not mean they don't. Iguanas do drink water and need it. Substrate Substrate is what you use to put on the bottom of the cage. There are many different types that can be used. 1. Newspaper with out the print or paper bags. They are cheap and easy to clean up. 2. Astroturf or cage carpet can also be used but its a little harder to clean. 3. Linoleum is another good choice because cleaning it is very easy. The down side to this is its a bit expensive. 4. Alfalfa pellets are also good because it is not harmful to ingest. The thing with using this is that the soiled parts must be cleaned right away as it quickly decomposes and grows bacteria and fungi. DO NOT use sand, saw dust, cat litter, wood chips, repti bark, bone aid calci-sand, corn cob litter, bed-a-beast, cedar chips, or anything in that nature even if it has a picture of an iguana on it or says it is for iguanas. These could cause bowel impaction, respiratory infections, and/or eye infections. Ventilation Ventilation is another thing you must think about. If your cage is made out of wire or screen then there is not a problem (except with trying to keep it warm enough) but if it is made out of wood or glass then well, that is a different story. Your iguana needs to have fresh air. With the high temp and humidity, this is a must. Place Iguanas like to look out windows and watch the things around them. A good place would be where your iguana can see you and your family and the things that are going on around them, but not a place where a predator (cat, dog) can stare at them. And do not put them in a place where there is a lot of loud noise like yelling kids or loud music, this can cause stress. Cleaning Every day the cage needs to be clean (taking out the wastes, cleaning the food and water bowl, cleaning up left over food, etc. And every week a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the cage is needed. If harmful chemicals are used, you must rinse the area completely. The cage needs to be totally dry and aired out before you put your iguana back in. Free roaming In time your iguana is going to get very large and at that point you will want to let them free roam. I'm sure that you wouldn't want to be stuck in a cage all day. Iguanas like to roam about the house. There are things you must do before you let them roam. You will need to iguana proof the room or rooms your iguana will be roaming in. Think of it as child proofing. If there are any places that your iguana can get into like a couch or hole in the floor or wall, make sure you block it off. Make sure that there is nothing that could hurt your iguana like something falling on top of him. If you have objects on shelves that you don't want broke then you better move them. Electric outlets, wires from cords, heaters, and light bulbs can hurt your iguana so check, check, and recheck. The temperature in these rooms will need to be warm and a basking spot should be provided. If your iguana will be out of his cage for a long period of the day then you will need to provide UV lighting. Iguanas love to climb so provide things that they can climb on like branches. If you have carpeting on your floors make sure you check the toes, tongue, and body for small treads that can cut off circulation. If you have other pets and you let them be together with your iguana don't leave them alone because accidents can and do happen. Outdoor cage In the warm season, it would be very beneficial to your iguana to build an out door cage so that they can be in direct sun light for a few hours a day. You will need to provide some shad that way if your iguana gets to hot he/she can to cool down. Do not put an iguana in a glass cage. The heat of the sun magnifies in glass cages and your iguana can die very quickly from over heating and dehydration. Don't leave your iguana outdoors if you will not be home. Make sure that you continuously check on your iguana to make sure he/she is safe and not over heated. Here is a link to a PVC cage. The Mesh-Covered Wood Frame Box is another. Phew...you still with me through all of this? Okay then good. Lets move on to the next section of Anatomy. © 2001-2007 IgPage All rights reserved. |
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