well i started making a care sheet which will eventually be put up on a website. but i have only gotten a little started right now i have doen the housing section.. i havent used any books for this so far this was all done off the top of my head so if there are any mistakes thats why. i know there are mistakes. be warned it is long but i need input on how it is coming so far. so i am just asking if anyone could just read it and post what they think..
Thanks Mike D
Igauanas can be one fo the most rewarding lizards to own and care for if they are taken care of correctly. If you ask any iguana keeper if they are easy to care for most will say no. It all depends on the person. Some people are cut out to care for these lizards and some are not. You need a lot of time to care for these lizards. It is not easy to care for a 6 foot long (sometimes larger) lizards. When they are big they eat a lot! Iguanas require a lot of time and space, which is something that just about any iguana keeper, will agree on.
Housing
So lets get started.. one of the things you need to look at is the space requirement required for these lizards. The ideal cage would be a whole room for the iguana set up with multiple basking lights and uvb lights and all the other nesseesary thing required for an iguana which are discussed below. But most people cannot do this. So the next best thing is to make the cage the right size for the iguana. Most people sue a cage 8 feet long 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall. This is alright if the iguana is allowed to roam arounf freely in the room.. if this is not possible than you should look for another lizard because iguanas need human interaction or they get very board and start getting into things in the cage that will ocupy them. they will also try to escape and if there is a way out they will find it Which is something that you don’t want them to do. Iguanas also need exersise. And they need a lot of room to do this.
For a baby iguana I suggest starting out with AT LEAST a 55 gallon tank. This will last you for about your first year. A young iguana grows like a weed if fed and cared for right. In this tank you need a water bowl, food dish, things for climbing, a hide theremometer, and a humididty guage. And on top you need a heat light either a spotlight(like a regular heat bulb) or a ceramic heat emiter(which gives off radient heat that you cant see) these are good for at night., a uvb light and a screen top. With out these your iguana will not get heat from the light, and wont be able to use the calcium you give it if you don’t have the uvb light. The one thing you DO NOT want is a heat rock. These are very bad for iguanas.. they are made for smakes!!
Now since the iguana has been removed from its original habitat it is up to you to recreate this in the 55-gallon tank. It needs to be warm enogh from your iguana. A basking spot of around 100* is perfect and a cool end of around 80-85 degrees. The humidity should be up around 60-70 percent. This can be achieved by misting the cage many time a day, leaving a large bowl of water in the cage with a small heat pad under it. This will cause the water to evaporate into the air causing it to stay humid.
For substrate, you don’t need anything fancy. For small iguanas paper towls or a cage carpet are ideal. They are easy to clean, and show whether or not your iguana is going to the bathroom. This also works for larger igunana as well but indoor/outdoor carpet ussually works better because it can be bought in bigger amounts.
You can also use plants to decoate your cage. But be warned you iguana will destroy these. Those claws will rip through them and they will be pooped on and everything. They are also not easy to clean. I suggest using silk plants. They will be taste tested but rarely ever eaten. These are easier to clean and can stand up to the abuse your iguana will throw at them.
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1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.1 rescued iguana
0.0.1 mali uromastyx
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.0.1 common snapping turtle
then the ussual
2 dogs
6 cats
hermit crabs
rat
misc. fish
ITS NOT ABOUT YOU DIEING FOR YOUR COUNTRY, ITS ABOUT MAKING YOUR ENEMY DIE FOR HIS.
