Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just adopted a baby ig.i have 3 snakes but never an ig.right now Scallion is in a fish tank,what should i do first to keep him healthy.Any advise please

I am new to Iguanas so be cautious on my advice...

First, I would reccomend you picking up a book such a Iguanas for Dummies and/or the green iguana ultimate owners handbook.

Housing: While a baby iguana can live comfortably in a 50 gallon or so, they grow pretty fast when fed correctly. And can reach up to six feet long... Eventually there will be no affordable commercially available enclosure unless you have a few thousand dollars to spend. You will have to build your own... Most people make a cage out of PVC piping with plastic coated hardwear cloth, metal mesh can slice off toes. Most people reccomend for an adult iguana around a 6 foot x 4 foot x 4 foot or so.

Provide ample climbing room, as Iguanas are aboreal (tree dwellers)

Make sure to keep your humidity around 60% as well.

Lighting: MUST HAVE UVB RAYS! If not your iguana was have lots of health problems... My vet reccomends reptisun. Glass and plastic filter UVB so make sure there are none between them. Also make sure to give your iguana a day/night cycle.

Heating: Have ambient temperature of enclosure around 80, basking spot around 100.

Food: Don't feed spinach or lettuce, spinach binds calcium and lettuce has about no nutritional values. Heres a good chart for foods: http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm

I reccomend supplementing calcium 2-3 times a week as well on food.

Handling: Honestly, this can take a lot of work depending on your iguana. I reccomend spending at least an hour a day or more with your iguana. Never hit your iguana or give it negative reinforcement, if you do it just helps it to establish you as a predator. When having hand near head, avoid quick movements. When picking up do it from below and not above. Give your iguanas treats as well to try to get him to like you more. During breeding season though, most iguanas tend to regress so be careful

Yep, what Paradisio says Some good sites to start your research include:

www.anapsid.org
www.greenigsociety.org
www.iguanaden.com

My personal fav resource is "Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owners Manual" by James Hatfield III. I had to order it from Amazon to get it, worth every penny and more!

You have really learned alot in the short time of owning igs.
You must have really done your homework.

Linda