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Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research

Thinking of taking in a rescue iggy

calebjg Feb 26, 2010 08:17 PM

There is this ig for free on Craigslist.It has no tail and isnt tame but is still young.It comes with a tank and heat pad so I assume the thing has never had UVB.I emailed the guy to see if he still has it.
What do you think?.I dont mind a non handleable animal but wonder how to do things like cage cleaning with a biter.Ive been bitten by just about every animal up to now so Im not to concerned until it gets big enough to do real damage.
Which UVB would be best, something I can pick up at a petstore since I wont have time to order a light..Maybe a Reptisun 10?
BTW will its tail grow back or not?

Replies (1)

kavorkianscarf Feb 27, 2010 04:03 AM

Hi.
Im not very experienced having owned my iggy for just under a year but I just wanted to toss in my 2 cents. The tail should grow back but from what I know, it will look a little different than its original. A 10.0 linear florescent has been recommended to me so I would say you are good with one as a source of UVB. Make sure to monitor the heat, adding another heat source or placing the light further away depending on what reading you get. As for the potential biting, Id suggest moving the basking spot from one end of the tank to the other to clean the end opposite the light. My iggy will seek out the basking light when I move it. Hopefully yours will too. Id wear gloves on the first time cleaning the tank just in case it turns out to be actively aggressive, though many recommend not using gloves to pick them up as to avoid holding them too tightly. With time and patience your new friend should eventually warm up to you. I got my iguana, Kain, last April and have only just recently been able to move in close enough to touch his hind leg. He has just recently become more tolerant of me in the last month or so.

Also, start planning for a bigger enclosure. Iguanas will outgrow any size tank very quickly.

Hope I was helpful. Im sure someone with more experience will respond soon with more accurate information.

~Michel

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