Ig ?'s

[erawtik]

Well iv had him now for about 3 weeks still cant touch him tail whips and runs every time. Dosnt seem to eat. I put food in there and he dosnt touch it for couple days then eats a little bit of it. Seldom sits under the heat light. And i noticed he sleeps on side of his cage. All this normal???? Seams to me i got a dud thinking of takin him back and getting a different one. Would it help if i built a little shelter in his cage for him to hide?? And iv seen others put litter box in and a tray type thing for water for him to kinda take a bath in. Is these things needed?

[LdyDrgn]

Do you have a UVB light on him? Ig's do need to be misted quite often and he may enjoy his own bathtub in there. How big is he and what exactly are you feeding him?

[marisa]

Well for one you didn't get a "dud"

Hardly any iguanas ever act "Tame" right away. It can take a YEAR or more for them to accept their keeper and their surroundings. Three weeks is like nothing to them. And even still, some iguanas continue to be more aggresive their entire lives. An iguana is a VERY wild animal and takes years to get to the point of perfectly "tame" if it can ever happen.

Secondly, like LdyDrgn said you need a UVB light and a heat light. Although I am not sure why he is not using the heat you have provided already. What are the temps of the basking area?

And yes small iguanas appreciate hiding spots. Big ones do too but its kind of hard to find a 5 foot long hiding area. *L*

Marisa

[eyespy]

It sounds like a stressed-out lizard to me, which is perfectly natural after just 3 short weeks (although I'm sure they've seemed long while you are worrying!).

Yes, give a hiding spot or three. Preferably one on the cool side, one up nice and high where iguanas feel most secure. Try placing food in the hide, iguanas feel at their most vulnerable when they are eating and drinking.

Like Marisa said, it can be challenging to create a "full" hide for igs, but fortunately they often feel hidden when clinging to a nice sturdy silk or plastic plant. Make sure it's very sturdy before you buy it, though. Tug like crazy on stems and leaves to make sure they won't come apart.

What kind of food are you offering? Is it finely chopped into smaller than bite-sized pieces so he can steal a quick mouthful when he thinks nobody is looking? Make sure you are giving nutrient-rich greens. It's especially vital while he isn't eating very much, and give a little sprinkle of calcium powder, without D3. If he's low on calcium he's going to have problems digesting his food and growing healthy bone tissue. And I can't stress UVB lighting enough. All the calcium in the world isn't going to do him any good if he cannot process it due to a lack of proper lighting.

What is his cage like? Is it nice and tall so that he can get up good and high? Or is it a standard aquarium tank? Those aren't at all suited to the needs of a tree-climbing lizard, they cannot get far enough above the ground to feel safe. If that is what you have, try putting the whole shebang up nice and high so that he at least feels like he isn't stuck on the ground.

Good luck and let us know how the taming process goes. Believe me, it's worth the effort to get an iguana that trusts you.

[erawtik]

Well he eats a few dif greens i got plus apple and strawberrys. The basking area is around 95-100. Just yesterday i ran the tub and let him sit in there for a bit but he never moved just stood in the water. And yes i have a light that is suppose to be natural light for him plus the heat.

[eyespy]

Sounds like you're off to a pretty good start, just give him time to settle in and try to be patient and gentle in your handling. Also persistent! Try to handle him 2 or 3 times a day, but just for 10 or 15 minutes so he doesn't get too stressed out.

Oh, and what brand of light do you have? If it's a mercury vapor it's fine, but a lot of bulbs are sold as having "full spectrum" or "natural" light that don't give off UVB.

[erawtik]

hrmm not sure of the brand i picked it up at Menards it said natural light for plants 100watt thought it might work if not i suppose i could get one from a pet store.

[marisa]

Yeah those aren't the ones iguanas need. At the pet store they sell Zoo Med Iguana 5.0 or 8.0 tubes. Those are the only bulbs that put out what they need I believe....tube wise anyways.

Marisa

[erawtik]

Dont make it in a bulb?? Only tube?

[eyespy]

The only bulbs that put out UVB are called mercury vapor bulbs. ZooMed Powersun and T-rex Active UV are the two most popular brand names. They are very expensive compared to the tubes, but last much longer.

The gases inside the tubes that produce UVB are used up long before the tubes stop giving off visible light and so the tubes need to be changed after 6 months at the very most. The mercury vapor bulbs are good for at least a year and some reports say two years.

With the bulb you have now, your iguana is at risk of not being able to process calcium correctly and developing metabolic bone disease (MBD). You need to get a good quality UVB light very soon so your ig can digest food properly and have healthy bones and muscles. Here's a well-written page where you can read more about MBD. The Green Iguana Society website in general is an excellent read.

http://www.greenigsociety.org/mbd.htm