Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do the experts in monitors use to heat up their large enclosure? What kind of light? I'm curious.... Currently, I'm using the red infered light used by the food industry to keep food warm. It's 250 watt, so I plug the lamp fixture into a dimmer to reduce the amount of heat it gives off. This baby puts out quite a lot of heat, so i never use it without a dimmer. So far, I can keep the the basking area around 120-130 degree pretty easily using just one bulb. After raising the temperature at the basking spot for my iguana to about 120 degree, he eats better during the winter...actually, he ate quite a lot during the winter...which i hear is something you don't see iguana do during the winter. Iguana during the winter often reduce the food intake dramtically, they say because winter coincides with the southern hemisphere dry season when vegetation is scarced. But when I rasie the temperature, my iguana ate his salad like a pig and pooped out the biggest turds I have ever seen. So now all my herps gets their basking of abuot 120-130 degree Farenheit. I do provide a big enclosure for my herps, so they'll be a cool side of at least 80 degree or at room temeperature.

The pros (which by the way I am not) use whatever will enable them to achieve the desired temps. I've never heard of anyone using the kind of lights you mentioned but if that works why not. Most use 45-60 watt halogen floods.

OOps you used the word experts, not pros. I am by no means an expert.

Hello Roger,
I to was using 250 brooder lamps(not the red) until I read and understood FR's write up about how to use low wattage up close. I actually have pocket change after cutting my fire bill to a third of what it was... Best to you- Mike

Hello Paradon,
When you say "they say" iguanas reduce their food intake in the winter because of vegetative scarcity, who are you referring to? I have never seen an iguana decrease food intake unless gravid, sick, cold or a combination of these... Glad to hear that your not holding out on the heat for your herps... don't hold back the food either... Best to you- Mike

The experts use what ever is available.
But since the lizards can't type, from what I understand, most of us "Keepers" us lower wattage halogen floods.
Myself, I use a bank of 60 watt bulbs.
The lizards use them, so who am I to argue with the Experts.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I use laser beams.

Tom

they say southern hemishere, dry season, blah, blah, its an excuse to explain that their captive iguana is not warm enough to keep eating. Have you seen iguanas in the wild, there is plenty of vegetation.

You may add, they are found, both green and spinytailed iggies, within 200 miles of my house, which is 60 miles from the border to mexico.

Spinytails include seasonal habitats, that is habitats with extreme wet/dry seasons. Green iggies do not, they must have a constant enviornment.

I have seen green iggies in nature in over 15 different countries.

In areas that have dry seasons, they are restricted to raparian areas, around permanent water. Cheers

How do wild iguanas handle living in proximity to people? Do they?

Me and my brother took care of my friends 4' male when I was really young, and I have to say, that thing wasnt very friendly.

It really didnt like my mom, chased her about a few times- was kinda funny watching a 9 y/o and a 19 y/o chasing a lizard around the kitchen trying not to grab the tail as my mom runs from it screaming "Im gonna step on it, Im gonna step on it!" even though she was too scared to go within a foot of that thing.

...but yeah, how do they do around people? Fiesty or more prone to hide?

Thats an odd question. Spinytailed monitors are all around cities and people. Green iggies would be and are in some places, but in many places people eat them. Which sort of effects the whole relationship. They are common at many of the tourist areas in southern and central america and many of the islands(antillies, etc)

In the antillies, they were very common around edge of cities, beaches and people. Some funny stories there. I found my worlds favorite beach on Isle de saints. Iggies, goats, and naked french girls, all laying around the beach. What more could a herper ask for????

The point of biting is, they do so for defense, spinytailed iggies bite like mad, green iggies not so much. What happens in captivity is entirely the keepers fault or skill.

These are wild animals, what the heck do you expect? domesticated mice? hmmmmmm mice bite. Cheers

Heh, sorry, I dont get alot of exposure outside this area- went to Mexico a few times, but never encountered any interesting herps (though i was sitting on the beach by myself at one point, and a group of dolphins came up and were watching me shovel rocks into the water to make a flat spot for my lawn chair, lol- i was highly intoxicated atm, and i believe they they found it rather comical).

Im just wondering because Ive encountered greens that are completely dociles for the most part, with this one male being the exception. Never encountered a spinytail.

He was fine with other males, but something about females made him get alil crazy, and he would chase my mom around nipping at her ankles, to her utter dismay.

All animals bite- just this morning a super worm got me under the finger nail hard enough to make me wince. Even the lil ones can get ya.

Thanks for the info.