[Goldenfish]

Hello, I am iguana-sitting for a weekend, and I was wondering if I could get some information about the iguana I have here. He (I don't really know the gender, we have just assumed 'he' is a boy) was won at a fair in Florida (in the US, though this is a UK board, I was hoping I might get some help anyway) and his owners (family members of mine) aren't really great pet owners, and I am trying to help them, as they were fine with letting him live in a 10 gallon fishtank because 'he will grow to the size of the tank and stay small.' I was able to give them a 25 gallon aquarium for now, though I'm sure he will need something bigger eventually.

Anyway, here are some pictures. I would like to know what species of iguana he is, and maybe some general information on him. (Or if I can get what species he is, I can use the search function and save ya'll some time.)

 

[welshgaz]

all sound very dodgy to me but he ain't gonna stay that size and if they under feed him he's gonna die! He will easily reach the length of that tank... I suggest you print off some care sheets about iguanas and they do some reading asap.... there doesn't even seam to be a UVA/UVB lamp in there??

Care Sheets
http://www.geocities.com/thearkfiles/iguanacaresheet_page1.html
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/lizards/green-iguana.php
http://www.reptilecare.com/IgCare.htm
http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/Iguanas.html

might give you some conflicting info but you'll get the basics which he doesn't seam to have.... could be wrong though

 

[Goldenfish]

Thank you for the care sheets, and for replying so quickly!

He does have some sort of lamp that is on the outside of his tank, above the branch. I don't know the exact kind of lamp (I've never had any sort of non-furry animal, except for fish...) but I know he has a day lamp, and a night lamp, and I am supposed to switch them like it is outside. She also told me to put a dish towel over the top at night, because she dosen't think it stays warm enough with the night bulb. (Theres no heater...?)

I know the sand is some sort of calcium sand from the pet store, made specifically for reptiles, if thats any help.

 

[welshgaz]

I know the sand is some sort of calcium sand from the pet store, made specifically for reptiles, if thats any help.

Calci sand!!! Its evil!! Remove it and use paper (kitchen or normal)

The two lamps (day/night. Night should be red??) will provide heat but it looks like you need to 1. Get the lamp on a thermostat to regulate the temp 1. get a UVA/UVB bulb in there otherwise you'll get a disease called metaboloic bone disease 3. get a wooden viv for him, it hold humidity much better and you can control temperatures much better as well....

 

[Goldenfish]

Oh goodness! It looks like a trip to the pet store is in order! Its not even my iguana, butI have been harping on them since they got him in October (I think?) and it looks like if any research is going to be done, it will be me. Anyway...

Kitchen or normal paper? I am not sure what that is (maybe its a UK term, or a reptile thing, or maybe I've just been hiding under my rock for too long! ) I have newspaper- should I dump the calci sand and use that until I can get to the petstore, or could the sand wait for a few days?

The night light is blue/purple. The box is still with it- its called 'night-glo.' 25 watts, moonlight lamp, dosen't say alot else. :? I know the day lamp is specifically for reptiles, not a house bulb, though I'm not sure if it has the UVA/UVB like you say.

Forgive my ignorance, what is a wooden viv?

Sorry for all the beginner questions, reptiles just aren't my usual choice of animals, I am just trying to help an animal I can see dosen't have proper care.

 

[Double_Jai]

Maybe I can help translate here. By kithen or normal paper they just mean paper towel or newspaper. and the wodden viv is just what they call wooden tanks instead of the glass one you have him in. there just better for lizards.

 

[Goldenfish]

Maybe I can help translate here. By kithen or normal paper they just mean paper towel or newspaper. and the wodden viv is just what they call wooden tanks instead of the glass one you have him in. there just better for lizards.

Ah, ok. Probably tommorow I will switch the sand out, its kind of late tonight.

 

[BADGERS MUM]

how nice of you to be making this effort for them,i suggest you take him home with you when youve finished house sitting :wink: after all it doesnt sound like the ideal pet for them,ive got a leopard gecko which is the easiest lizard to keep but theres still quite abit of time,effort and cash that needs to go into it,mind you if they are serious about keeping him they will learn loads on here and should have a happy iggy at the end of it.

 

[weeminx]

google the name melissa kaplan and read up on everything she says about iggys.u have a green iguana (same as ours) u will need somewhere bigger for him (pretty soon) i wouldnt keep an iggy in a tank like he has at the mo and tell the owners be prepared to make a HUGE enclosure for when hes an adult.(our enclosure for our iggy is over 12ft long(pics are in the lizard pic forum) good luck and get readu to spend alot of money on his new set up :roll:

 

[Miranda]

Winning goldfish is bad enough but iguanas! even if it was free I wouldnt accept it as they are expenisve to care fro, but the guys here know what thye rea on about but, I think you need to talk to the iggies owner about the responsibility and tme and money you need to looka fte an iguana.

 

[Goldenfish]

I already have 4 dogs, 2 cats, and howevermany rats I have this week, and I am stretched thin as it is, so I couldn't take him permanetely. I don't have the room to build him an enclosure that he deserves, not to mention my dad has threatened to dump all of us at the pound if any more come home. (I'm a teenager.) I have to support all of the animals financially (except one dog, but thats a long story) and I can't really afford another animal right now. I can, however, do research and badger his owners about it enough to maybe improve his conditions. I can get basic things like thermometers, but I have vet bills from my animals to take care of, as well.

Every time I remind his owner that he will get over 5 foot long, she says she will build him an outdoor enclosure when he gets that big. I tell her it has to be a certain temperature, and she says she will have him a house with heat to go into. I realize that won't work, and I am still working on convincing her. If someone could give me a link explaining why, or just type a good post about why that won't work, it would help if I could show her it isn't just me who thinks this.

When will he need a bigger enclosure? I realize its ideal for him to go ahead and have a full enclosure, but she won't do that for a few years at aleast. :roll: She seems to think that he can be in the 25 gallon for another year at least, and that dosen't sound right to me. Is there a page that shows about how fast he will grow?

I do have a friend that has had iguanas in the past, and I am trying to have them give him to her, as she takes really good care of her animals, but his current owners want to keep him. Still trying to convince them, though!

 

[Dan]

He should be ok as an adult in an outside enclosure if i read it right and you're in florida, they have their own population of wild iggies now.
My suggestion would be to put the tank outside during the day so he gets some UV as it will save you specind your money on lighting and he will get far more from a day outside than he ever will from a lightbulb

 

[Cara]

He should be ok as an adult in an outside enclosure if i read it right and you're in florida, they have their own population of wild iggies now.
My suggestion would be to put the tank outside during the day so he gets some UV as it will save you specind your money on lighting and he will get far more from a day outside than he ever will from a lightbulb

I didn't think UV (bulbs) worked through glass? but is it different with the sun then?

 

[weeminx]

cara your right uv doesnt work through glass and the same goes for the sun.the best site i could recomend for total iggy care and facts is
http://www.anapsid.org/

 

[welshgaz]

TBH a hour in natural sunlight is probably equivalent to 12hrs on a uv bulb.... Just sit with him in the sun for an hour he'll really appreciate that!

 

[Dan]

I didn't think UV (bulbs) worked through glass? but is it different with the sun then?

They don't but isnt the lid on that cage mesh? Why else would you put a cloth on top to keep the heat in?

 

[BADGERS MUM]

goldenfish you sound like an angel,show them this site,if they cant afford to or havent got time to sort him a big viv now then they never will,cant imagine why a fair would give away such a thing,we outlawed goldfish freebies at fairs years ago,id also be abit suspect of where he came from in the 1st place,as some1s pointed out if theres wild iggys in florida whos to say hes not be caught n boxed up is he tame? they make good pets but as a dog owner myself you and i know vets bill are expensive and specialist vets more so,think their best bet is to act now or give him away! sounds harsh but people shouldnt have any pets if they dont have time or money.

 

[DeanThorpe]

yeh an hour a day in the florida sun will be more than any of the uv tubes will give, will do him better than most.

And er..incase it wasnt already said its A Green Iguana you got there. iguana iguana

 

[Blazey]

some uv rays go through glass but not all. think its UVC glass mainly reflects but i may be wrong and it may be UVA , its all to do with the length of the rays

 

[DeanThorpe]

uva is white light, that goes through glass yeh
uvb doesnt...i think it may be something like 1% of what hits the glass goes through, so minimal amounts in desert like rays, nothing that can even be measured from the sun here in the uk and same for the uv tubes.
mesh also reduces it, tighter the mesh the less that gets through, obviously, really there needs to be Nothing between the source and the animal but a bit of air