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| Green IguanaEnclosure Selection Health Feeding BreedingEnclosure Size Suitable Materials Substrates Décor Temperatures Hides Lighting Plants Maintenance Enclosure size Because a fully grown Iguana can reach lengths of up to 7 feet, they require incredibly large enclosures. People have ended up converting entire rooms into enclosures for their iguanas because it is easier than buying the size of enclosure they need! While a 60 gallon tank will do to start out with, they will be far too big for it within months. By the time they are 18 months old, a 100 gallon will not be large enough! Custom cages can be ordered larger than this but they are expensive, so the best option is to go for a homemade enclosure. This needs to be, as a minimum, 4 feet by 4 feet by 6 feet high for an adult iguana. There needs to be enough room in there for it to stretch out fully without bending its tail, in a near horizontal position. Material The best materials for building enclosures are wood and glass, personally I prefer wood. There is a tendency for temperatures to fluctuate quite quickly in glass tanks as there is such poor insulation. The problem arises not only from heat loss but also from heat gains, so it is preferable not to locate the enclosure in direct sunlight. The other problem with glass is that the iguana may try to get through it, and may end up with abrasions and sores on its snout from rubbing against the glass. Wood can cost a fair bit more but in my opinion is worth it. It looks nicer, and is better for the health of the animals. It should be of laminated chipboard, sealed at all edges to ensure water-tightness and a long life. Large glass fronts or sides can be incorporated to allow easy viewing, and leaving a small wooden panel at the bottom can prevent lines of sight from the floor of the vivarium, making it less likely that the iguana will struggle against the glass. The material NOT to use is mesh. This can easily be ripped by the animals, and also does not hold any heat in the enclosure at all. Mesh roofs can be used to allow for ventilation and excess heat dissipation but all-mesh enclosures are a bad idea. Wire meshes are also unsuitable, as they can cause nasty cuts and abrasions. Substrate Substrates are, and will always be, a hot topic for debate among reptile enthusiasts. Some people say not to use any particulate substrates at all (sand, gravel etc) while some condone the use of such well known hazards as Calci-Sand and Bark Chippings. You should consult a vet before using any untested substrate, and never trust a manufacturers guarantee that it is "totally safe for reptiles". They are out to make money, plain and simple. All care sheets I have read up till now have shunned sand, corn cob, crushed walnut, kitty litter, wood shavings, and gravel. A number of people use newspaper, as it is cheap and effective. If you are using a wooden vivarium, Melissa Kaplan recommends the use of Linoleum. This can easily be acquired from a flooring store as an offcut, either free or relatively cheap. When glued to the floor, this provides a wipe-clean surface. An interesting quote from Melissa Kaplans article "Iguana Care, Feeding & Socialisation": "Vets have ... also removed, push pins, tacks, pennies, balloons, condoms, silk underwear, and human and dog hairballs. Some unlucky iguanas didn't survive the surgery to remove coins and other objects, including a Boy Scout pin without its backing." It is important that when you let your iguana free roam you ensure there is nothing lying around on carpets, floors, beds, or anywhere within reach of the iguana that they could easily swallow and ingest. Décor You can create some quite beautiful vivariums for your iguanas, using some clean and dry branches and rocks. With a bit of patience and trial and error a safe, natural environment can be produced. Wood and rocks can, of course, be bought at rather extravagant prices. Depending on where you live this may be your only option but if you are lucky enough to have access to a public forest where you are allowed to remove one or two suitable branches this can be more economic. Various rocks and stones should also be collected and cleaned in the same manner as the branches. If you cannot source natural materials locally then a local aquarium specialist or reptile supplier will have dried and cleaned sections of wood in many interesting shapes which can be cleaned as below and used to furnish the enclosure. Recently there has been a significant rise in the availability of fake rocks and structures that you can purchase and place directly into the vivarium. These can look very realistic and are worth considering, since they are very lightweight compared to their natural counterparts. To clean items for use in a vivarium, use a stiff brush to remove all loose material, and in the case of wood strip it of its bark. Mix up a 5% bleach solution and thoroughly scrub the surface, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Rinse well and allow to dry completely before use. When setting out, make sure branches cannot slip and that rocks and structures cannot topple over. Not all types of rock and wood will be suitable for your enclosure. Avoid any sappy woods such as evergreens (conifers etc) and rocks which appear porous. Any rocks which are especially smooth and shiny may contain high amounts of metal minerals so should also be avoided. These lizards are highly arboreal so the enclosure should be designed with many climbing areas and perches. Thick, sturdy branches at least as thick as the iguana should be used. If possible, they should be screwed in place. Thick ropes, securely fixed in place are also ideal. Temperatures Iguanas are cold blooded, which means they take in the heat they require from the surroundings. They do this using a process known as thermoregulation, and they require a variety of temperatures within their enclosure to allow them to do this. By providing them with a warm end and a cool end, you can allow them to choose what temperature suits them best at any given time and promote good health and comfort. The temperatures should be around 75-88F (24-31C) generally, with a basking area of about 88-95F (31-35C). Night time temperatures should be maintained between 73-84F (23-28C). There are a number of ways to heat the enclosure. The two most used methods for smaller set ups is either the heat mat or an incandescent bulb. If your house is likely to drop below 70F at night then a heat mat or red bulb should be used at night to maintain the correct temperature within the enclosure. Prolonged exposure to temperatures below 74F can result in respiratory infections, as can shorter periods of time exposed to under 60F. Which method you choose will depend in part on the size and layout of your enclosure. Heat mats can provide a lower amount of heat and are more easily regulated, making them useful for background heat and night time heating. There are a few manufacturers of thermostats, and the heat mat manufacturer may recommend the one that works best with their product. To gauge the size of mat needed, aim to cover at the most about 25% of the floor of the vivarium. For glass tanks, the mat should be placed externally with a small amount of ventilation space underneath. This can be achieved using a small piece of cardboard or wood under each corner. Providing air movement reduces the risk of the glass overheating and cracking. If you have a wooden vivarium however the mat will have to be placed on the inside, preferably under the substrate. Care must be taken not to allow the iguanas to come directly into contact with the mat, and I personally fix the thermal sensor for the thermostat directly to the surface of the mat to prevent it becoming too hot. I strongly recommend avoiding hot rocks. They are unreliable and in some cases can cause serious burns to your new pet. There is a high instance of faults developing within them, resulting in hot spots in excess of 100F. All temperatures should be measured using a digital thermometer with a probe. If possible, it should be left in place with high/low alarms set if available. This will provide an immediate alert to any problems that occur. Hides Iguanas, particularly juveniles, need somewhere they can feel secure. A simple hide will suffice, even something as basic as a cardboard box, or more attractive hides can be fashioned from anything, such as a broken plant pot, an old margarine tub with a hole cut in one end, or a small structure made from stones. There are also a number of artificial hides available which can look great. As long as there is room inside for an iguana and it is safe and clean the possibilities are endless! Usually, once they reach about a year they no longer need a hide except in cases of extreme stress. Lighting Lighting is very important to your new iguana. They require UVB wavelengths to ensure allow them to produce vitamin D3, which in turn allows them to break down calcium. Failure to provide a suitable UVB source will lead to metabolic bone disease which can be fatal if left untreated. A brightly lit vivarium will also encourage a lively and active lizard. It is also imperative that the iguana is able to get to within 8" of the UVB source. Megaray and other combined heat/UVB sources should be used with care. They are only suitable for very large enclosures where they can be positioned the proper distance from the dragons. Using these bulbs in a smaller enclosure where there is insufficient distance will result in blindness, and possibly other medical conditions. They should be properly researched before being used in any enclosure. If in any doubt always contact the manufacturer for advice. Maintenance Vivaria need regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure a long and healthy life for your iguanas. There are a number of things that should be done routinely, either daily, weekly or monthly. Daily Scoop out any faecal matter lying around the enclosure Change the water in the water dish, clean thoroughly every 2 days Mist the humid hide Weekly Clean food dishes and hides in a 5% bleach solution Monthly Sift sand substrate, change every 3 months Clean entire cage with a 5-10% bleach solution and rinse thoroughly
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