how to house an iguana?

Question

what is good housing conditions for an iguana?

Answer 1

) Caging - First off you need somewhere to put your iguana. Here are options... You can dedicate a room for your iguana which will need to be warmer and more humid, or an easier alternative is to buy or build a cage. Aquariums are generally not well suited for iguanas, with the exception of babies. Iguanas grow very fast, so anything less than 55 gallon tank is usually outgrown within the first year.

Entire house - While giving an iguana the entire house to room gives them plenty of room to move around, there are a lot of things to consider with this option. Iguanas are tropical and require high humidity and very warm temperatures, and these two things are rather difficult to duplicate throughout most homes. Even if you can get the whole house hot and humid, this is only something that should be considered with LARGE iguanas as the smaller iguanas may end up getting stepped on, or just plain lost. There's also the concern with "iguana proofing" the house, which is similar to child proofing, in that you need to keep any small objects completely picked up and away from where they can eat them. You also have to take into consideration that iguanas are agile climbers, so gates won't work. Iguanas like to climb and larger ones can pull down curtains trying to climb them. They can knock down things up high if they can find a way to climb up (such as on shelves). When "iguana proofing" think ahead and try to prevent any hazards - such as securing lights so that they can't be knocked over, making sure plugs are secure and put child outlet covers in unused outlets (same with powerstrips). There are covers you can purchase for entire powerstrips. My concern with the powerstrips is that my iguanas might poop on them, so attaching them to the sides of cages where they won't be able to poop on them has been important to me. If you have other pets such as dogs and cats, this might also not be a good option. Caution must be taken with doors and windows. Screens in windows need to be secured. A better option would be to only set aside one room for your iguana or iguanas.

One dedicated room - Using only one room is a better option than your iguana having access to the entire house all the time. It's easier to keep just one room hot and humid. 4 of my 8 iguanas free roam in a room I have dedicated for my lizards. The others are in cages within the same room (and this is because they are males and would be having some serious fights if I didn't set it up this way). The lights from the other cages really heat up the room nicely. The room is also "iguana proofed" as you would for a child, but including things at heights that they could possibly get into. I have all the lights wired down to the tops of the other cages and the basking area lights for the free roamers are secured so they can't be knocked or pulled over. I also have powerstrips that hold the plugs in much tighter than some do. The packaging specifically made mention of that and I have noticed a difference.

Build or bought caging - The nice thing about caging is that it's easier to keep your iguana safe and the temperature and humidity levels are easier to keep constant. There are quite a few places online where you can get ideas for caging, buy plans to build your own cage, or even buy the cage. Here's a good place to start when considering a cage design - Basic Iguana Cage Design Problems and from that page check out her caging links. She's got it all covered there.
Some things to consider are the materials from which the cage will be built and where will you put the cage. The few cages I have consist of wood framing, plywood on three sides, framed plexiglas for the doors, and hardware cloth for the tops (I'm replacing it with PVC coated as Mandelbrot and Hemme have been trying to get at each other through it and they have been damaging their faces on it; Mandelbrot sitting on top of the cage, and Hemme in the cage with Chester - they're both rather dominant females). Using the hardware cloth (PVC coated) is great for ventillation and makes it really easy for lighting placement. I can even wire the lights to the top so they can't be knocked down by the free roamers in the room.

Fish aquarium - Once your iguanas is around a year old, chances are an aquarium will just be too small to accommodate it. The shape of aquariums are designed for fish and are usually very narrow - not good for iguanas who get very long tails and will be finding it very difficult to turn in them over time. It's also difficult to get a good temperature gradient in such small caging. Unless you're given an aquarium or are borrowing one from someone until you can build your little iguana a cage, I suggest going another route with caging. Aquariums should be temporary housing for an iguana.

Outdoor Caging - This would not be the primary cage, but an addition cage used on nice warm sunny days when you can be around to supervise. You really need to supervise while your iguana is in the outdoor cage to make sure it's not overheating (usually mouth gaping is a good sign it's too warm) and also to make sure other animals can't get in. Half the cage should be protected from the sun/heat, so the iguana can regulate its body temperature as it would in its indoor cage. Some owners provide a misting system to help from overheating. I think the ultimate outdoor iguana enclosure would consist of two areas with a door between the areas. You'd enter the first area, close the door behind you, and then enter the second area where the iguana would be. This would prevent the chance of escapes, especially for those younger skittish iguanas that are easily spooked by new sights and sounds. Also it's important to remember that an iguana that has been outside basking for some time may often seem like a wild animal when you go to take it back in the house. It's warm and has been getting lots of UV and can be difficult to handle. You might want to bring a pillow case or a towel to make sure it doesn't escape between the outdoor cage and the house.

Answer 2

Most people end up having to build a cage. This is what I did, since Igs grow up to 6 feet long and the cage should be 1 & 1/2 times that high and at least that long. I used pvc and plastic mesh and attached everything with cable ties. You have to be creative! They need a lot of ventilation, a good place to bask in the heat up high, a UVB above the basking spot, and a pool ( a large kittylitter pan or storage box works well) of clean water to soak in daily (and poop in, which is what Igs do). No substrate on the bottom, which can be eaten and cause impactions. Reptile carpet on the bottom if fine and easily washed. A large bowl for fresh salads daily. Check out www.anapsid.org for complete care.

Answer 3

Your first answer is gold. Accurate, and exactly what you need to know.

I just wanted to add, that growing baby Iguanas (any reptile, really) needs a cage that's just the right size. Cages that are too large don't facilitate "bonding" (you want him to get used to you), and the lizard may not be able to find heat sources, and food dishes.
Too small (obviously) cause injury and illness.

If you have a baby, start with a small cage and plan to "up grade" several times.

Answer 4

go to http://www.anapsid.org for the absolute best captive Iguana information on the web. Melissa Kaplan is one of the most respected authorities.