Iguana

[Rikki]

Im getting an Iguana in a few minutes, there on sale so i though why not get one. Im about to leave to go get him. Does anyone else have any iguanas and would like to share there pics and expiriences?

[HeatherRose]

LOL. Oh, dear.

[dave68]

Hey Rikki , I hope this Iguana is not a purchase made on a whim just because they're on sale. We have an Ig that we have had since the day it popped his head out of the egg, and although Shade has made a good pet, he is strong, full of nasty claws, and can poop like it's going out of style, not to mention the huge light requirements and the crazy amount of food he can put away each and every day. Oh yes and the cage requirement as well can start getting a bit ridiculous, I think his cage in the end will be bigger than my kids bedroom.LOL! Another scary thing is that if taken care of properly they can live for thirty years, and when I actually say that man, 30 more years of making salad-yikes! Anyways Rikki I will go try to find a picture-don't think there is one in my gallery right now, but I do have one elsewhere. So if you do "pick" one up in a few minutes, Good luck I guess.

[CDN-Cresties]

Originally posted by PuNkuPoNAsTAR
LOL. Oh, dear.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Rikki]

Oh, no i typed that way to fast lol. I have been thinking about getting one for a while and i have a cage ready with all fixtures, i have the food and calcium suplements. Its a 10gallon tank though i will be placing him in a 29 gallon after i see hes good to go. Im very expirienced with them, dont get me wrong

[Rikki]

And, i my self have had a 5 foot iguana in the past which i sold when i was moving.... I know what im doing

[HeatherRose]

NO, you're not very experienced with them. You're putting it in a TANK? A 10 gallon? Nice job. *Thumbs up* ...

Go read a book.

[doenoe]

im not really into iguana's and stuff, but isnt a 10 gallon a bit small for one.....................an 29 gallon to for that matter.
Are you sure you aint talkin about gettin a gecko or something?

[Samba]

Rikki, you may have owned one in the past, but you really need to consider your motives for getting one now... Please do some more research and give this animal everything it deserves...

[dave68]

Hey Rikki, I would definately skip the 10 gal and go right to the 29, and as for the food you already have, I would not use just that, as Fresh is best, and I'm assuming you just failed to mention the most important fixture of all, when you said you had all the fixtures ready (full-spectrum, heat etc). Anyways here is some pictures of Shade, she just turned three this past March.



Thanks for looking, Allison

[dave68]

Hey Rikki, I would definately skip the 10 gal and go right to the 29, and as for the food you already have, I would not use just that, as Fresh is best, and I'm assuming you just failed to mention the most important fixture of all, when you said you had all the fixtures ready (full-spectrum, heat etc). Anyways here is some pictures of Shade, she just turned three this past March.

[dave68]

Thanks for saying that puNkuPoNAsTAR!!!!

[dave68]

Oops sorry for the double post!

[Matt_K]

This is from Melissa Kaplans Caresheet on the Green Iguana (yes, I know people have their problems with her.. too bad)..

The costliest initial mistake made by iguana keepers is starting off with too small an enclosure.
Enclosures aren't cheap to begin with, but you save nothing by buying less expensive small
enclosure. Kept properly, iguanas grow fast and need lots of room to move around in while they
are doing that growing.
When you start off with the usual 10-40 gallon enclosure, it may look large enough to you,
but it isn't large enough to provide the thermal gradients the iguana needs. It cannot provide the
open space they need just to move around in without constantly banging into food bowls, water
tubs, branches, etc. Finally, as you will find later when reading about taming and socialization,
iguanas are highly territorial. Keeping them in a too-small enclosure at any age intensifies their
reaction to their territory being invaded, even when the "invader" is your hand and arm putting in
fresh food and water. This territorial response kicks in about the time that the iguana finally
realizes that you aren't going to eat him. So, to give both of you the best opportunity early in the
relationship, start off with a large enclosure, even if the iguana initially looks "lost" in it. Hide
boxes and visual screens during the first couple of months will give him secure-feeling places to
go when he's feeling over-exposed to prying eyes.
Start with a least a 60 gallon US (50 gallon UK) tank with a secure lid or a similarly sized
wood and glass/Plexiglas top-, front- or side-opening enclosure. Glass enclosures are available
with a securely fixed screen across half the top of the tank and a hinged glass lid securing half of
the top. These tanks are easily cleaned and disinfected. While a 60 gallon tank may seem huge
for that teeny baby iguana, a properly cared for hatchling will outgrow that enclosure by the end of
its first year, and outgrow a 100 US (83 UK) gallon tank shortly after than (see Determining Iguana
Age and Size).
Enclosures not suitable for iguanas are those that are primarily mesh, as mesh does not
hold in the heat. While this may not be a problem during hot summer days when the room air
temperature is in the mid-80s, it is a problem the rest of the year as you have to heat the entire
room to tropical temperatures--day and night--in order to keep your iguana warm enough. If you
aren't the one paying the electric bill, or have no idea how much the additional heating and lighting
equipment will cost, you can run some calculations before you get your iguana to see if the
monthly cost is something you can sustain. The Calculating the Cost of Electricity article
discusses how to do so.
Mesh is also a problem if the wrong type of mesh is used. Fine mesh, such as window
screening material, will shred under persistent iguana claws--and iguanas are very persistent.
Poultry wire (also called chicken wire) has large holes. The wire itself is stiffer than window
screening, but thin and sharp enough to cause serious injury to iguana noses and toes when they
rub against it (that persistence thing again) and climb it. Hardware cloth (woven wire), especially
the plastic-coated ones, are suitable for ventilation panels or outdoor enclosures. You can also
use it to make a "convertible" enclosure, one that is mostly hardware cloth to take advantage of
the summer heat, with easily attached solid wood and Plexiglas panels that will hold the heat in during the cooler nights and seasons.

If you would like to read the complete caresheet, you can find it HERE

Hope this helps..

-Matt

[Rikki]

Hes 4 inches long guys o.O