Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all
Just a quick question...
I have the possible option of adopting a 6 year old iguana in the near future...

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on care sheets or websites that they would suggest reading in particular before i decide to take him? I've got a bearded dragon and from what i've read they are fairly similar to each other in basic care techniques (albeit slightly different temp gradients and such) or any other help or advice would be greatly appreciated as well

thanks for your time
Derek

Hello & kudos to you for taking the time to do your research in advance!

Beardies are to iguanas as a Civic is to a Jaguar, IMHO Sure they're both reptiles, both need UV light, and there's some overlap with types of food. But I think that's about where the similarities end.

My brother has a beardie, and from what I've seen & heard, they are far, far more docile & predictable than igs. Ig personalities all differ, but they can be way more tempermental and unpredictable. And if you're talking about a six-year-old ig, his huge size is going to magnify these traits.

Ig space requirements are also something to consider. You won't be able to keep an ig that age in a tank; he's going to need a specially made enclosure, or a room all to himself. Some folks (myself included) have free-roamers, but I tend to think that those of us who do sort of lucked out in the personality department. Not everyone's ig is going to be as willing to stay off the entertainment center, or not use the couch as a toilet!

I'd check these three resources for detailed information: Anapsid.org, The Iguana Den, and the Green Ig Society.

And feel free to ask lots of questions, we love to help!

Thank you

Believe me i learned my lesson about doing alot of research after i got my dragon, and i've found that the people on the kingsnake forums are always very helpful and informative.

I do understand there are VAST differences between BD's and Ig's.

The current owner (the cousin of my girlfriend) has all a custom tank and all the accesories to go with him.

From what i understand he's tamer than alot of igs and i was hoping to have him as a free roamer when i'm home. however i do have a spare bedroom that i was planning on turning into his space.

i do have one other question however, how often do they go to the bathroom? and is it difficult to say litter train? or teach to go in one spot? forgive me if that's a stupid question but i thought i'd ask anyways.

Derek
"who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Only the Shadow knows"

I'm honestly not sure how often the average ig goes or what potty training is like for others, but I can share my experiences with Grass.

She came to me as a rescue and is probably about 3 years old. On the third day I had her, she hadn't gone at all yet, so I tried the bathtub trick. Worked like a charm. So from then on every morning I put her in the tub with a few inches of water, and bingo! That was it for the day. I highly recommend this method & you can learn more about it from anapsid.org.

Recently I set up a nesting box for her in a large plastic storage bin. Well, no interest in nesting, but she sure thinks it's a great litterbox. For whatever reason she goes to the bathroom almost instantly after putting her in there. This is *great* for me as it means I don't have to disinfect the bathtub every morning. The box is on my patio, and I just take her out there every morning, let her do her thing, then scoop & toss. She'll be set for the rest of the day. However if she spends a long time in the backyard during the afternoon, she'll occasionally go on the lawn.

The only problem I've had with her is my bedspread; no matter what, if she's in my bedroom she heads straight for it & makes a nasty mess. So that room is off limits. Otherwise she's totally reliable & like clockwork with her digestive habits.

I'm interested to hear from the rest of you on this -- what are your igs like in the potty training department?

Xander goes 3-4 times a day... but he's still little - not quite 2 years old. I tub poop him in the morning, and again at lunch time. He'll usually go in the grass when he goes outside for his afternoon sunshine. In the early evening I'll tub poop him before letting him spend time with us... if I don't, he'll go on the computer desk or the couch or my pants...

I've found that since I've started pooping him more often, he's had more of an appetite and eats almost twice as much as he used to. It makes sense... you can't put more in until you let some out! And because of his recent illness, we've really been trying to shove food down his throat (I mean that figuratively, of course).

Alika

i dont have my igs free roaming as of right now because im living with my aunts. but im getting a place soon and their going to have their own room. my igs go whereever they want, normally on the bottom of their cages. they normally go everyday or everyother day.
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brandy

i have 3 igs and 1 bearden dragon. completely diferent animals. iguanas do not eat bugs. need more room. and tend to be less tame. well tend to be harder to tame i should say. you can get alot of info on this site. and on green iguana society. their are alot of smart people with aot of experience on this forum. so never be afraid to ask any questions. everyone is always willing to help. hope you find that an iguana is the pet for you. their are so many that need homes. good luck
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brandy