free range iguanas

[garterguy]

i have on of these he's about 3 feet long.we live on a farm and i keep an eye on him and he stays in the same territory and he also is free range in the house and he poops on newspaper.the temp outside and inside is about 80 degrees and at night it goes down between 70-75.is this alright?

[JeffT]

Isn't it a little dangerous having him outside? Couldn'y he get ticks and mites and stuff like that?

[garterguy]

he hasnt got any yet and we have supplements he takes for mites but not for ticks.i havent seen any ticks around but thanx for mentioning it i will be more careful where he goes

[Zoe]

I wouldn't let him go outside either. He could decide to run away, get attacked by a cat/dog/racoon etc, get picked up by someone. run over a car, get sick etc etc etc.

However, if your INDOOR facilities are good (sterile, no dangerous high places and so on) then it's fine for him to roam around.

Zoe

[garterguy]

he has a chickenwire fence in a large square outside and i keep watch on him at all times.

[Dragon_Slave]

Hmmm... well, my bearded dragon is 17.2 inches and he has free reign over my room, when I'm home that is. As far as outside goes, I don't ever put him in the grass because our grass hasn't been treated for pests and could have some type of parasite living in it. ICK! I just don't take the chance. When I do take him outside, he either sits in my lap or hangs off my shirt. And on days when he gets to go outside to soak up some sun... I use a 58 gallon plastic container and I use the top that came with it, only I cut out the middle of the plastic top and replaced it with screening. Then I put repti-carpet on the bottom, his rock hide and a water dish(since he drinks out of his) and he is HAAAPPY! Lol. I would recommend doing the same thing for you're iguana only maybe using a baby pool or something without the water and then putting the chicken wire around it?? Just an idea...

[Zoe]

What do you mean by supplements for mites?
At any rate, it isn't okay to let your iggy get sick if you treat him right away. It's like giving someone the flue, then giving them the flu shot, then the flu again etc.

I could definitely not let him go outside unless he is on a leash or in a big cage.

Chicken wire is no match for an eager iguana.

Zoe

[JeffT]

Well all-in-all, it sounds sweet to have a potty trained iguana. I'd love one but my house is like a frickin museum and my parents have all this art and stuff and if he nocked anything over me AND him would be dead meat lol.

[eyespy]

You should make sure he's got a basking spot where he can heat up a bit more than 80 degrees, my guys like to hang out at 95-100 for an hour or two after a good meal.

Does he have a good UVB source indoors? That's pretty important.

[Samba]

GarterGuy - this must seem like conflicting information so I'll try to say my piece simply. It's good, and even recommended, that iguanas get plenty of out-door time because of the exposure to the sun, UV rays and such; However, leaving it unattended is greatly discouraged. You've already heard the reasons why this is bad for your iguana, but let me mention why it could be bad for you as well... If you iguana escapes and injures someone, or is found by somebody who knows it belongs to you, YOU could be reported to authorities for a number of infractions (depending on where you live). Some places require that you have permits to keep wild, exotic, reptilian pets, and those permits are most often obtained by inviting specialized personnel to your home to inspect your animal's living quarters, ask you about your husbandry practices, etc.

Despite the fact that you said you keep watch over him all the time, I do believe you leave your iguana unattended sometimes, if not a lot of the time. NOBODY can keep watch on their animals 24/7 while continuing to go about daily business. We ALL understand that. Supervised out-door time is recommended for your safety and the iguana's. Good luck, and keep us updated!