Housing a Green Iguana
June 30th 2009 16:11
Housing a green iguana can be a pain if you're expecting the baby iguana to stay small. These guys need large enclosures, and they don't just stop growing just because you keep it in a small enclosure, so you want to be very careful in your research before and after you get a pet green iguana.
Enclosure Size: Because adult iguanas can be very large- up to 6 feet- you want to have a large enclosure. They are not limited to the enclosure and will continue to grow throughout their lifetime. A young iguana will grow out of a 55 gallon aquarium within the first year.
You want to be able to provide exercise space as well as an actual enclosure when you can't watch your iguana. Generally, you'll want the enclosure to be at least 6 feet tall at bar minimum. The width of the enclosure should be at least half of an adult iguana's length. The larger the cage, the better off your green iguana will be. If the enclosure is too small, the reptile will quickly and easily become stressed and start banging his nose on the glass, causing nose wounds.
Baby and juvenile iguanas do not need huge cages, just remember that they do grow quickly. A large aquarium will suffice for the first year, but start making plans for a larger enclosure quickly.
Temperature: Green iguanas need an enclosure that is very warm. You need to be able to provide a basking spot of 90-95F with air temperatures of at least 80F.
If the iguana is not able to get enough heat and cannot stay adequately warm, it will have problems properly digesting its food and absorbing the nutrients. Growth will be stunted and the iguana may suffer malnutrition.
In addition to the basking spot, you also want to provide an area where the iguana can get away and cool down if he needs to, and a day/night scenario that will need a timer to help keep things fairly constant.
Lighting: Iguanas need both UVA and UVB rays in order to stimulate natural behaviors. It's very important that you include this as a part of your iguana's habitat. If you opt to use UV tubes, you want to change them every 4-6 months.
Also, consider creating a safe outdoor habitat so that your green iguana can get natural sunlight so that it can absorb natural D3 to properly metabolize calcium in the body, to prevent MBD.
Humidity: Green iguanas need a relatively high humidity. You'll want to provide a large water bowl and mist the enclosure as needed in order to provide 65-75% humidity levels. Iguanas a prone to dehydration in captivity, which is why it is very important that you are able to ensure that your iguana has accurate humidity levels.; dehydration can affect the kidneys and can potentially cause and early death, which is why it is very important to provide high humidity.
Enclosure Size: Because adult iguanas can be very large- up to 6 feet- you want to have a large enclosure. They are not limited to the enclosure and will continue to grow throughout their lifetime. A young iguana will grow out of a 55 gallon aquarium within the first year.
You want to be able to provide exercise space as well as an actual enclosure when you can't watch your iguana. Generally, you'll want the enclosure to be at least 6 feet tall at bar minimum. The width of the enclosure should be at least half of an adult iguana's length. The larger the cage, the better off your green iguana will be. If the enclosure is too small, the reptile will quickly and easily become stressed and start banging his nose on the glass, causing nose wounds.
Baby and juvenile iguanas do not need huge cages, just remember that they do grow quickly. A large aquarium will suffice for the first year, but start making plans for a larger enclosure quickly.
Temperature: Green iguanas need an enclosure that is very warm. You need to be able to provide a basking spot of 90-95F with air temperatures of at least 80F.
If the iguana is not able to get enough heat and cannot stay adequately warm, it will have problems properly digesting its food and absorbing the nutrients. Growth will be stunted and the iguana may suffer malnutrition.
In addition to the basking spot, you also want to provide an area where the iguana can get away and cool down if he needs to, and a day/night scenario that will need a timer to help keep things fairly constant.
Lighting: Iguanas need both UVA and UVB rays in order to stimulate natural behaviors. It's very important that you include this as a part of your iguana's habitat. If you opt to use UV tubes, you want to change them every 4-6 months.
Also, consider creating a safe outdoor habitat so that your green iguana can get natural sunlight so that it can absorb natural D3 to properly metabolize calcium in the body, to prevent MBD.
Humidity: Green iguanas need a relatively high humidity. You'll want to provide a large water bowl and mist the enclosure as needed in order to provide 65-75% humidity levels. Iguanas a prone to dehydration in captivity, which is why it is very important that you are able to ensure that your iguana has accurate humidity levels.; dehydration can affect the kidneys and can potentially cause and early death, which is why it is very important to provide high humidity.
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