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I'm looking for recommendations for good caresheets and breeders of Desert Iguanas - not having the best of luck. I've never seen them in person, but have fallen in love with pictures I've seen. In particular I'm having a difficult time finding out the cage size for a single adult - of course I'd take any care info anyone wants to share!

Thanks!
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by a friend of mine. You will have to wait about another month or 2 to get some wildcaughts. Not too many people breed them because they are not a money maker. Get a hold of Steve Ferrand at chuckwallas.com. He is a good guy to get wc from. Tell him Tom Greb told you about him. good luck. Tom

Thank you...I dug the issue out and read it.

I'm still unsure about cage size for 1 adult if anyone has any thoughts. I'm also assuming overhead heat is all that's needed (no UTH, etc).

Thanks again!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Bredl's Carpet Python "Strider"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legolas"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.1 Okeetee Corn snake "Amazon"
1.0 Crested Gecko "Willow"
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

I have had several Desert Iguanas. They are really great animals. I would say as far as cage size go as big as you can. They are fast runners like Collard Lizards so give them room to run. My substrate was sand and they seemed to do well. They do like to dig so keep your rocks on the ground. I would use a UV light for them, I noticed mine would bask right under the UV light all day long. I have not heard of any captive breeders. All mine where WC and did just fine though. If you do deal with WC make sure they have no parasites. I hope this was help to you. Good luck.

This site may help some more. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/desertiguanas/

Please see this site for husbandry: http://www.anapsid.org/mainlizards.html this is Melissa Kaplans site and very reliable.

Contact Dersert Reptiles in Nevada. The guy there is very nice, his prices are reasonable. Glades herps has one or two in stock but the are captives for awhile and I'm not sure I would buy them unless they sent me a picture of them and they were very healthy. Best bet is to wait untio the spring. The cage size should be at least a 55 gallon for a pair, as inimated before they are active animals, like to dig. Buy home depot play sand for substrate, its cheap and works well for these guys.
Must have a 8.0 flourescent or mercury vapor bulb for UVA/UVB.
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Phrynosoma.com

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

I have bookmarked that caresheet for future reference. I have emailed Desert Reptiles a coupld of times over the past couple of weeks but am still waiting for a reply. My only concern with ordering from them is they have a minimum order of $50 and a desert iguana only costs $30.

You say a 55 min for a pair - what about for a single animal? I realize bigger is better, but I want to make sure I can do at least the minimum. I may have enough room for a 48x24x18 (which I'm sure is a great size), but then again I may not be able to go bigger than a 36x24x18 (and if I went with this size it would likely be sitting directly on the floor at my dogs eye leve - she won't bother the iguana, but I don't want to stress the lizard out so I'm guessing a cage on the floor would be a bad idea regardless of size?).

Thank you for all of your help & time!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Bredl's Carpet Python "Strider"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.1 Okeetee Corn snake "Amazon"
1.0 Crested Gecko "Willow"
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

Again for one animal a 36 x 24 or 18 x 18 is fine. These are not jumping lizards but totaly ground oriented, however they do climb in the wild and often climb up in a cresote bush to get off the hot ground to thermoregulate. So the 18" is advantages because usually less light to heat the cage. One side should be about 110 degrees and the other about 85 to create a gradiant of heat. If your going to do a pair then I would certianly go larger if you can. Also do get it off the floor, get some 2 x 4 and a saw and make a stand ising drywyall screws, it's cheap and works. Go to the pet store and look at a simple fish stand made of wood. You can make one of those real easy.........so now you have plenty of time to plan for your animal and to get the proper lighting and cage. In a 36 x 24 or 18 x 18 I would recomend 150 watt zoomed basking bulb. Check the temps where the light is shining down, If the light sits on top of the cage and shines down through a 10" screened hole that would be my prference, but some of the cages put the light basking inside, if so you may need to use a 100 watt bulb as your too close to the substrate for a higher watteage bulb, you can expirement. Anywya good luch and cheers.......If you really want to purchase a nice cage I would recommend the following link:
http://www.showcasecages.com/ These are very nicely built and well thought out cages and well worth the money and ease of putting a cage together. Just a thought, don't want to spend your money...Cheers!!!
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Phrynosoma.com

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Bredl's Carpet Python "Strider"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.1 Okeetee Corn snake "Amazon"
1.0 Crested Gecko "Willow"
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

the reason the cage would be on the floor is because it would be the bottom cage in a stack of cages - not because I don't have a stand. I just wasn't sure if this would be okay with Desert Iguanas.
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Bredl's Carpet Python "Strider"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.1 Okeetee Corn snake "Amazon"
1.0 Crested Gecko "Willow"
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

Currently I have (6) DI's. I got (3) of them at a reptile show in Tampa serveral years age from Glades Herps. The bigger enclosure the better. I would say a 55 gal aquarium for a pair would be minimum. I take my guys outside and put them in a tent. Take the top off and let the natural sunshine in on them. I don't have much faith in those UVA and UVB bulbs. Nothings better for them than natural sunshine. They love it! They start doing pushups and chasing each other. It's amazing how the larger tent wakes up their natural instincts. Visit our Desert Iguanas below!
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Our Desert Iguanas