Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've posted before about how both of my Cyclura enjoy soaking. I know they don't need it but they like it. The hygorometer outside reads that the humitidy is above 60 percent outside, yet here is Sebastian soaking in his bathtub.

I soaked my green iguana so that he would go potty in the tub. This way his cage remain emaculate... I think a clean environment is good for the animals. (-:

With greens, soaking is important. Cyclura, technically don't need to be soaked. They are also not as likely to go in their water. Sometimes they do, but usually they will climb out before the defecate.

I hear Melissa Kaplan's Cyclura, Mike, loves the water... She said in one of her blog that every morning he'll be waitin by the tub at the same time everyday and making noises waitin for her to fill up the bath tub. Maybe it's also individual Cyclura. Maybe some dont like to soak. One of My bearded dragon will submerge itself in water whenever I filled up the water dish.

I have a different opinion on this. My Cyclura lewisi hybrids which live in outdoor enclosures with no roof, will sit in the pouring rain all day long getting soaked. They prefer this instead of staying in their hide burrows. They live naturally on Caribbean islands that get soaked on a regular basis and get hit regularly by tropical storms and hurricanes. I believe that they like getting a soaking and since they are kept out of their natural environments, they get that soaking one way or another. In this case; a bath tub or water bowl.

I know there are different opinions on this. I think it was Tom who first chided me once for soaking my Cyclura. I did it routinely with Kismet when she was younger because I was used to greens. When I stopped, she seemed to mind and when I started providing areas for the igs to soak on their own both of my Cyclura chose to do so voluntarily. When they are mostly inside during the winter, now that they are bigger, it's harder to provide a large tub of water outside of the bathtub. I watch to see if they look like they are looking to soak and offer them the tub.

That makes a lot more sense.

The cyclura that I owned also seemed to like to go out and get soaked on rainy days, even when it was cold.

Gorgeous rhino!

Thanks, she was one of my babies for over 10 years. Rhino iguanas have a variety of personalities, and this one was a real sweetheart. Last I heard she was on her 5th owner living somewhere in South Florida.

Soaking is especially valuable for preserving the tip of the tail for adult cycluras. As the animals age, the thicker skin sheds becomes more restrictive and stunting of tail growth. Regular baths assist the shedding process and increase the odds of growing an adult cyclura with a long full tail. The below iguana iguana is a fluke of nature with multi-tails growing.