Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ive had this iguana for about 8 years and just over the past few months ive changed his diet to a proper one and hes been doing great health wise. but my dad woke me up this morning thinking he had died, but hes still breathing...
usually at night he sleeps on a hot rock (its temperature doesnt go over 75), but he didnt lastnight and he feels really cold, i just turned on his light, hes now stnading up, but his tongue is still sticking out. should i give him a bath to help warm him up, or would the sudden change of temp hurt him? what temp should the bath be if htats the best thing to do?

thanks for any help

with his light on hes warming up and his tongue is back in his mouth... what a relief

i am gonna pick up a night light today

Iguanas are used to soaking up heat from above, not below. Hot rocks are not designed to radiate heat, and just aren't a good idea for most herps, especially arboreal ones like igs.

You don't necessarily need a night light either. What I would do is get one of those dome lamp fixtures and a ceramic heater. Both are readily available at most pet stores that cater to herps. Hang it just above the top of the enclosure, where he can't get to it directly, and run it 24/7. You want his basking spot to get up to about 95F or so during the day, 75-80 at night. Set it up to maintain a temperature gradient, though, so he can find his own comfort zone.

As for the tongue sticking out, this could be a sign of dehydration. Keep the humidity up with some sort of misting device, or at least give him a shower with a misting bottle or similar device a few times a day.
-----
MichaelB