Newbie with Brown Tree Climbers/Mop Head Iquana

tallen · 06-02-09, 10:53 AM

Hi everyone! I just got two of these guys last week. They are eating well and doing everything they should be doing. Problem is, I don not have any information on them. HELP!

Will0W783 · 06-03-09, 10:51 AM

Hello again- three threads? People are usually good about answering threads on here, just be patient. I've never heard of mop head iguanas and would love to see pics if you can post them. In the future, do yourself and your herps a favor and research any species you're thinking about before you buy them- it makes both your lives a lot easier. Go to some of the reptile shows- there are lots of good books there for sale- far more than I've seen anywhere else. Best of luck and post some pics of them! I'm very curious!

Chu'Wuti · 06-03-09, 12:41 PM

Tallen, there are reptile/herp shows in a lot of places in June, so google herp shows for your state. Also check out your local herp society--google "herpetological society Your State" and you'll come up with something. Then go to a meeting and ask for help with your herps--somebody there will be able to help. Good luck!

siz · 06-04-09, 07:35 AM

Club tailed iguanas are often called mop head igs, google image seach 'club tailed iguana' and see if that's what you have. I don't know about the specifics of their care but I cans ay this.
I have a green iguana (used to have two), and I used to work in a herp store with an iguana display of 'drop offs'. Igaunas eat a ridiculous amount, need a lot of lighting, throw fits, go into heat, they get huge, need a huge enclousre etc etc etc. They are honsetly not good pets unless you truly have a passion for them. They are really the kind of reptile that needs a lot of research and dedication. Igs are one of the most thrown away, 'disposable' reptiles.
Green igs are STRICTLY vegetarian! I don't know about these guys.. Regardless of what you have make sure you use a calcium supplement with D3 in it a few times a week, and vitamin supplement a couple times a month.
Not to be a jerk but it really frusterates me when I see people getting igs with no idea what they are getting in to. I realize clubtaileds don't even come close to the size of greens but.. (i think clubs get to about 18")

I can't seem to find much info on the club tailed's care that I would be comfortable referring you to.. google will be your friend here

tallen · 06-08-09, 08:27 AM

Hi everyone. Don’t know if my last post made it. My screen went blank and it was gone! Anyway, just for the record, here is what happened. I was planning on getting my son a new lizard. His passed away at five years old. The pet shop gave me a care sheet and spoke at length with me about them, so I felt comfortable. I was just going to take one, but decided I just couldn’t leave one behind. Good thing, because they are cuddled up together. I would never bring home an animal and not take care of it. Not my thing. I have a lot of confidence in myself, and knew I would find enough information to keep them. And I believe that I have. They have a basking area of 85 – 90 degrees, black light at night. Salad and crickets (they do eat them, I found that out). A black light at night. Plenty of misting. And plenty of handling as well. This was a shop that I frequent, and they are pretty good. They just made a mistake in the information they gave me. Never had a reason not to trust them. They have always been good to me. So, it was simply a mistake of species. I think you guys should ask for the story of the author first. OUCH!

siz · 06-08-09, 09:38 AM

Please don't take offence I was just being blunt. We just care about the welfare of your animals, and you said you bought two with no knoweldge. Pet stores often have no idea what they are talking about (althought this is not always the case). Is it indeed club tails that you have? Good luck, I would like to see pictures

Will0W783 · 06-08-09, 10:13 AM

Good luck with them Tallen. I wasn't trying to be offensive either, but I worry whenever someone says they bought an animal with no knowledge of its care. That kind of thing never ends well. Like Siz said, we just care about the animals' welfare. You sound like you will be fine. Please post pictures- I am really curious!

tallen · 06-08-09, 01:06 PM

Hi Jess. I thought I had info. but in the end, I did not because I was mislead. So I guess my first e-mail was kinda quirky. Sorry. They are mop heads, and somewhat rare from what I have read. Might not be for long. My son told me the other day they were giving piggy back rides.

tallen · 06-08-09, 01:07 PM

PS: I will take pics soon!

tallen · 06-08-09, 06:23 PM

Hi everyone! My son and I have learned so much about them, and we are going to continue to so. The tank is set up beautifully. I will take pictures. I have a large iguana enclosure, but I am afraid to move them right now. I am worried they won't be warm enough with the screen. They are about 16 inches from head to tail. Is that silly?

Is it normal for them to cuddle together? They weren't close together in the pet shop (they were in a five gallon tank - I think they just arrived. There were knats in the tank. The shop was preparing a large area for them when I got them.) So I put them in a 55 gallon tank, coconut husk on the bottom, lots of branches a nice large stone to bask on with a lamp putting out between 85 and 90 degrees, black light at night and it really made a difference. They relaxed (most people I tell this too look at me weird when I say they relax).

Does anyone use a mister in their enclosure? I am worried about the humidity level.

Just so all of you know, I am committed to Emilio and Saferia. I would never turn away a creature I took responsibility for. Plus, I really like them! They are fascinating! They seem to find us fascinating too!

siz · 06-08-09, 06:45 PM

Quote:

The tank is set up beautifully. I will take pictures. I have a large iguana enclosure, but I am afraid to move them right now. I am worried they won't be warm enough with the screen. They are about 16 inches from head to tail. Is that silly?

No, if you do decide to move them to a screen enclosure this shouldn't be something to worry about. Make sure you have a digital thermometer in there to monitor temps. Something to keep in mind is that most igs LOVE to climb and height is an important factor!

Quote:

Is it normal for them to cuddle together?

No, reptiles don't really 'cuddle' for the most part. They are usually 'cuddling' because they both want to be in the same spot for whatever reason (heat, hide etc). It is usually suggested to house reptiles seperatley, definatley with green iguanas. If you don't know the genders I would suggest doing this but keep in mind I am not familiar with this species. The reasoning behind this is that they have to compete to get food, the best basking spot, the best hide, sometimes one gets bullied, sometimes they flat out fight, sometimes they breed. If you know that they are opposite gender I would seperate them almost for that last reason alone, you want to really know about your species before you breed them and hatch more into the world.

Quote:

I put them in a 55 gallon tank, coconut husk on the bottom, lots of branches a nice large stone to bask on with a lamp putting out between 85 and 90 degrees, black light at night and it really made a difference. They relaxed (most people I tell this too look at me weird when I say they relax).

That sounds pretty good

coconut husk is a great substrate because there is a low risk of ingestion and impaction, and it holds humidity well. Do you have any hides in there? You might not need the black light at night, it's usually acceptable to let night temps drop at night but again I am not familiar with this species. Again a digital thermometer in the tank is great. Post a picture of your setup too

I know what you mean about a relaxed looking lizard. Don't worry, we won't look at you weird here!

Quote:

Does anyone use a mister in their enclosure? I am worried about the humidity level.

Just so all of you know, I am committed to Emilio and Saferia. I would never turn away a creature I took responsibility for. Plus, I really like them! They are fascinating! They seem to find us fascinating too!

Yep! A spray bottle is great for helping keep up humidity!

That's good to hear

Again, good luck with them, reptiles are fascinating! (And you might find they are also very addictive!!)

tallen · 06-08-09, 07:38 PM

Hi guys. So far, they are great together. They sit together a lot. I'd rather not separate them unless I had too. They seem to like each other. I have not seen any agression at all. I believe I have a male and female (90 percent sure). Are they too young to breed? They only get about 2 feet. They are about 18 inches now.

So you all are saying they will find the heat even if I put them in the large enclosure? With the night light, it is about 72 and I have seen them under it at night. This breed is unique in that they eat crickets! I have tried all kinds of veggies and fruits, and they won't touch it. I even tried iggy food. They just want crickets. In general, what I have read is that they are pretty docile. But if I see any agression, I will totally separate them. I took pictures and will post them tomorrow.

So let me know if you think I should move them to the other enclosure. I will take your advise, and move them this weekend if you all think it is best. As for separating them, I just think that they like each other. Maybe it is gut feeling.... But I have not seen any reason to take them away from each other. Does anyone else have two housed together?

tallen · 06-08-09, 07:52 PM

PS: They both seem to be feeding at different times. Emilio eats as soon as I put the food in the tank (typical male - sees food, jumps). Saferia takes her time, and feeds in private. I can tell, because sometimes she has a little husk on her lips.

tallen · 06-08-09, 07:56 PM

Also, how do I post pics?

Kmef07 · 06-09-09, 09:03 AM

The problem is you might not ever see aggression. The one eating first and the other waiting is the sign you should be looking for. e.g. in a pack of lions the males eat first and the females are last to eat. you might come to find out your female is getting the "last pick" of everything not just meals. I dunno everything i could find on green iggys was not to house them together. again i couldn't find anything on this species but I would seperate them. If you had a huge enclosure that was like 6feet by 6feet by 6feet with multiple hot spots and hides and more like a natural enviroment i would say give it a try but whether you like it or not they will compete for the best hides and basking spots. Also it is important to note that female iggys, at least the green ones i read, will lay eggs every year reguardless if they are fertile or not and must be given the opportunity for a lay box. if not they will die from being egg bound. also a good time to seperate the male and female so he doesn't piss her off and make her not feel comfortable laying.