Iguana

[tarandrew]

I've been keeping T's for a little while now and finally decided to get a Green Iguana. I'll probably be picking it up within the next few days, but I wanted to see if it's housing setup is appropriate first.
(I know that this setup won't last long at all, I'm just going to use this until I finish building it's permanent cage).
Oh, and I'll have the lights for it the same time I get the iguana.

Go easy on me, seeing as I'm asking you guys and not the pet store.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

My advice is to not buy from a pet store. Odds are high you will not be buying a healthy, non-inbred animal free of parasites and raised on a healthy diet, and that you will be supporting a pet industry which has done nothing but abuse this species and sell them so cheap that they're treated as being almost as disposable as people treat goldfish. As long as they continue to profit from iguanas, they will continue treating them this way.

I'd look for a rescue in your area, or other sources for unwanted pets. People get iguanas all the time and either can't or won't deal with them when they start growing, and it's a sad fate for most of them.

 

[tarandrew]

"Go easy on me, seeing as I'm asking you guys and not the pet store."

By that I mean I'm not planning on dealing with a pet store whatsoever, as I agree with everything you said Spore.

I was going to buy from a breeder in Mississauga, but I like the idea of getting an iguana from a rescue shelter. I just hope that I can find one that isn't full grown, seeing as the cage I have ATM is only good for a 12" tops iguana. Speaking of the cage, how did my setup look? Appropriate? Anything I need to add/change?

 

[JohnEDove]

I have 2 Rescue Iguanas as of this posting and 2 more arriving today. Note I said RESCUE not purchased. The reason they were turned over to me is because their past owners did not understand the enormity of the project they were taking on when they made their purchase.
Your young or baby Iguana that is sooo cute right now will grow to 5 feet in just a couple of years, it will require a cage a minimum of 8ft X 4ft X 8ft. Yep a large closet at a minimum.
They also require that you study their dietary needs, provide UVB lighting, higher than normal humidity, lots of climbing space high up, regular soakings and much more.
IMO, the set up in the picture in not sufficient for even a baby Green Iguana and I would suggest reconsidering your purchase until you have really studied the animals.
Here are a couple of great sites for you to start with.
http://www.greenigsociety.org/
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

If after studing all the info those sites have to offer you still want to take in an Iggy there are many of us, who take in many unwanted Iguanas, that will thank you for studying up on it before jumping in because the odds of your Iguana ending up in a rescue will be much less.

 

[tarandrew]

I've already read those websites pretty much inside and out. Based on what I've read, I put the stone tiles in the cage (they will be warm from the basking lamp, and they will bring the humidity up when damp), a soft surface for it to use as a bathroom, water/food dishes, something to climb on and fake plants. I posted the picture on here to check and see if things are alright before getting the iguana and I appreciate you telling me I need to change the environment, but you haven't added any suggestions.

I look forward to the iguana growing to possibly 6+ feet, and I've already designed a cage that I will be building. (Which I am going to be starting within the next couple of weeks). I have proper nail clippers, and located a reptile vet in the area if problems arise. I have even prepared a week's worth of salads and stuck them in the freezer until the iguana arrives.

I myself am fully prepared for taking on the task of owning an iguana, and any other small tweaks with it's home can be made overnight.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

"Go easy on me, seeing as I'm asking you guys and not the pet store."

By that I mean I'm not planning on dealing with a pet store whatsoever, as I agree with everything you said Spore.

Just making sure, as it wasn't very clear. Carry on.

 

[T-kid's mom]

They grow faster than you think. I'm attempting to attach pics of our green iguana, Mayan, four years ago in the kitchen sink and how he looks today. You need a huge cage for him. Mayan has a huge outdoor enclosure for the warm months and then spends the cold months taking over our master bathroom...

 

[T-kid's mom]

Okay maybe one attachment at a time?

 

[T-kid's mom]

Okay, apparently not. I have no idea what I am doing wrong with the attachment, but trust me they get big *fast*.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

They sure do! Mine hit 5 foot in relatively no time at all.

And be ready for the fact that not all wind up being the gentle lounge lizards that you hope to have. Some can be quite difficult to manage. Mine was, no amount of handling changed his disposition. and those claws can be like miniature switchblades! They can pack a pretty good wallop with those tails, too!
Another thing to be aware of is meeting their dietary needs, they can be fairly susceptible to metabolic bone disease.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but forewarned is forearmed. Good luck!

 

[Tarantula_man94]

They grow very fast and they need more stuff 2 climb on and need substrate.

 

[T-kid's mom]

Tim! I love your avatar! I rehab opossums. They are so adorable when they are babies!

Now, back to iguanas. Another option would be to look into acquiring a Cyclura. They are members of the iguana family. They are much more expensive to buy than green iguanas, but they live longer, grow more slowly, and while the first two years with a Cyclura tend to be a lot harder than the first two years with a green a Cyclura is more likely to grow calmer as it gets older. My almost six year old female Cyclura hybrid is wonderful. She thinks she's a greyhound and loves to hang out watching television. My green of the same age, by comparison, is barely handleable. Granted, each lizard will have it's own unique personality, but Kismet and Mayan do follow the general trend.

Check out David Blair's website:

http://www.herpnut.com/page.php?page=home

Susan

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Thanks! I'm glad you like it! That is one of the most comical pictures of a possum I've ever seen and thought it would make a good avatar.
Possums are cool, I don't think the critters get the respect they deserve.

 

[T-kid's mom]

I think so too. It's amazing how many people think opossums are rodents!

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

And just as many probably don't know they are marsupials! Just the fact that they are makes them interesting and unique. Add their ancient lineage, their interesting ability to rarely harbour rabies, and a pretty amazing array of dental work, and all in all you've got a pretty nifty animal!

Don't forget to pick up a good reptile vitamin supplement, terandrew. Like I said, MBD is a big concern when it comes to iguanas. Mine suffered a touch of it the first year I had him, but I got it sorted out before it caused any serious damage. Naturally, the better the diet and UV lighting, the less important the role of supplements become.

 

[T-kid's mom]

Exactly! Sadly, we get a lot of dead or dying mother opossums (either vehicular accidents or shootings) at the wildlife shelter that have a pouch full of babies. Some of our rehabbers are amazing and have raised them for as little as 5 grams! I don't take them when they need to be tube fed. I wait for those that are at least lapping formula on their own.

Interesting, opossums are also prone to MBD, an oddity in my mind considering they are a nocturnal animal. But they need a high calcium diet as I think they eat a lot of bones in the wild.

With an iguana you also have to be careful of overcompensating for MBD. I was so terrifed of MBD that both Kismet and Mayan had calcium and phosphorous levels that were *too* high when they were little and were at risk for kidney disease! So the key is balance.

Susan

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

When mine was young, I noticed that his hind legs were paralyzed. I immediately headed to the vet, who quickly assessed it as MBD. He provided an injection and gave me a liquid supplement. My guy was NOT one of those tame lounge lizards I mentioned earlier, and treating him with the liquid supplements was not much fun.
Things went well for quite some time, but at about two years and probably at thee-foot long, I noticed a little stiffness and a slight puffiness in one leg, so I took him back to the vet. Another round of supplements had him up and going, and I never had trouble with MBD again, having learned the proper amount of supplement and UVB lighting. But boy, I thought it was tough to administer meds when he was at about a foot long in length! At three-foot he was a demon and as you probably know quite well, quite strong.


If I had to do it all over again. I would not have taken him on at that time. This was pre-internet days, and even printed information was on the sparse side. The iguana and I both would have benefited from a little more extensive knowledge.

 

[hairmetalspider]

I have an iguana whose about 2 1/2 feet long, Iggy Stardust.

In his time with me, a little over a year, he has caused me to bleed more than several times, and actually cast his tail off in an attempt to hit me when I needed to relocate him.
I've spent more than several hundred on him in the past year, and will be spending about another grand as his custom cage is being built as we speak.

But. they are truly amazing animals, and with the right care and conditions, can prove to be awesome pets.
As said before, a little common sense and education can go a long way.

 

[JohnEDove]

The two rescues that I mentioned as arriving that day near the beginning of this thread both had MBD. They are 7 years old and less than 36 inches because the owner fed them the crappy pellets for Iguanas rather than real food.
The lady that turned them over to us told me they would not eat fresh veggies, ROTFL, it took me 5 days of wasted veggies before I found a combination they would eat to get them started. Now when I go out to feed them they mob me as soon as I open their door.
Previously they were kept in a recycled display case that measured 5ft X 18in X 18in. Now they live in a 5 ft X 4 ft X 7ft and I had to install a hide box for them when they were first put into it because they were obviously stressed by the open space. These are the first Igs I’ve ever taken in that needed a hide box.
Though they will never reach the normal size for an adult Ig with proper diet, supplements, injections, and oral meds, and 3 vet visits, their last CBC showed proper serum calcium levels. Total cost to save two stunted Igs, not important. They are the most personable Igs I have ever taken in.

It is so sad that so many people think these guys are aquarium animals and are to lazy to care for them properly.