Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read quite a bit, but still would like clarification on a few things. I do plan on buying that iguana book, but oddly the pet stores I went by didn't have any...

1. Substrate - Paper towel ok? I am worried because I would think their nails would dig into it and get stuck

2. Photoperiod - I know they require absolute darkness at night but what about sound?

3. Heating - What do you reccomend, I was going to do undertank heater, UVB and basking bulb.

4. Climbing - What woods aren't safe to use? I have some long wooden dowels I thought might be nice... can they climb smooth surfaces?

5. food - I went to the grocery store, and they didn't have a lot of stuff that a recipe said... They only had mustard greens, collard greens, some of root/melons, ocra and green beans will these work well? What about fruit?

6. Acclimation - After I get my guy how long should I let him get used to his environment before I peek in on him more?

1. Paper towel works fine but a lot of people have good luck with linoleum, indoor outdoor carpet or even towels James Hatfield reccomends a substrate made from a combination newspaper and paper towels

2. We have a radio going quietly where the iguanas are at 24/7 and they do well but if you're talking about loud noises then probably not so good as they wouldn't have a very "restful" period.

3. We usually use heat lamp and UVB with a space heater that comes on if it gets too cold for the overall temp. I'm sure there are lots of other ways but this works for us.

4. They usually don't do as well on smoother/slicker climbing things. Anything would have to be angled or textured enough to get a good hang on it. We use dead tree limbs etc that have been bleached/baked to make sure no lasting parasites or anything.

5. Collard, mustard, green beans and squash are a good start but can also be helped with frozen/canned foods as long as you add back in any vitamins lost in the process and don't buy ones with additives. They need a good variety. Berries are a pretty good fruit. Melons are okay buy I don't think they have a lot of nutrients. Fruit should really only make up around 10-15% of their diet. Just remember variety is a key and if you're not sure about a veggie don't make it a main staple but can probably be used once in a while or as a treat

6. Some people say 2-3 days some say 2-3 weeks. We usually leave them alone for a week with only feeding and cleaning and then slowly start introducing them to your hand being around then being touched, etc. Don't grab from above if it can be helped or they think you are a predator. They will probably think you are a predator anyway since you are bigger then them just give them time and remember they are wild animals and even "nice" ones are never completely domesticated.

Hope this helps some
Stephanie

One last one, what is the minimum size for an adult iguana enclosure, or should I saw reccomended size? A 4x4x6-8 would be easiest for me but I could probably go bigger

Like I said, go buy that book and it will answer every question you could possibly ask.

Mellisa Kaplan's
Iguana's for dummies
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Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
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1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
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0.1.0 Green Iguanas

Which one should I buy? The iguana for dummies or the ultimate book? or both?

I would buy both books. You can never have too many sources when it comes to getting iguana information. If you can only get one right now I'd get iguanas for dummies. You probably won't find it at the pet store. A book store would be the best place to find it.

I would go with a larger enclosure so that you only have to build one. The bigger the better. I guanas need a lot of room.

After your ig settles in if you have trouble getting him out of the cage try offering him a treat(like fruit) by hand to let him see that you are offering him something. This may not always work. Some igs don't eat out of peoples hands. Mine do and it's really cool, but watch you fingers. If you have a treat they really like they might mistake you finger for a treat because they are more excited.

Don't forget about a calcium supplement to sprinkle on it's food. Powder is the best. The quantity to use depends on the diet and how old the ig is. Collard and mustard greens are great. You just need to add a little variety and color. My igs love squash. Especially butternut squash. Don't give them iceberg lettuce. Here is a web address to a good food chart to go by. Try mixing different staple foods with different occasional foods to create a healthy variety of food for them.

http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm

Good luck with getting your ig. Just remember some people here can be a little harsh at times, but they are only looking out for the well being of iguanas. Someone has to because once they are in your care it's up to you to keep them alive and happy. There are a lot of people that have posted recently that won't take the advice of anyone here and just want their ig to take care of itself. Just be sure and listen to the advice people give on here it will help you and your ig. You have to be able to dedicate a lot of time, money, room, and care to be able to have a healthy happy iguana. I wish you luck again.

Thanks I got both books Quite a read

Thanks for the link but I already had it It doesn't say anything about goiters it just says mix with other foods though which I will do.

Thanks for all your help

I was looking at the images in the photo section and looked at a picture of iguana food, and someone commented on a few of the ingredients that if overfed cause problems, is there a list of these? It said turnip greens which was one of the things I was going to get so I wanted to know if I should use them or not. Thanks

If it says it could hurt them, then the best thing to do is stay away from them. Here is a web address That I just posted in my last post. It will help you it is a list of good foods for iguanas and how oftem you can feed it to them.

http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm