Burrowing behaviour under newspapers...

Alright, well my iguana started eating a little more today. Still not as much as it used to, but a bit more. So strange that it started eating after I turned DOWN the temperatures below what is normally recommended.

Anyway, he has been doing this thing for about a week, where he burrows under the newspapers on the basking platform at night before it sleeps, right the moment the lights go off. Today, it did it in the afternoon as well. He does have a hide box elsewhere in the enclosure but he never uses it, only stays on his platform pretty much 95% of the time. I do not think it is because it is gravid because its stomach is all empty and it isn't really constantly digging around it just sort of digs one or two times until it is able to dive under the newspapers and then just lies there to hide (correct me if I'm wrong).


This is all fine and good. If it wants to burrow, it can burrow. But it is causing problems because occasionally it wiggles around a bit after it gets under the newspapers to get comfortable, and today, as a result, the water bowl went splashing on to the electrical plugs for the lamps.

Knowing that it has pooped already today, I have removed the newspapers temporarily.

I'll get a heavier bowl tommorow, but it IS getting a lot stronger. Also, do let me know if this is an indication of some other underlying problem. I don't know if I should be putting the hidebox on the platform but then EVERYTHING will be on the platform it would be stupid and make him a couch potato that I may as well keep in a 20 gallon.

I would put the temperatures back up where they belong and not fiddle with them. Correct temperature is important to their health.
I would leave everything just as it is (except making sure the plug ins can't get splashed!)
The ig has just decided that under the papers is a secure place to sleep.

I have replaced the bulbs so that the old temps are up again.

Sure it may want to sleep under the newsprint, but why does it sometimes burrow there in the late afternoon and not sleep?? Does it want a hide on the platform? I don't think I will give it one anyway as it is silly to have everything on the platform, but just wondering. Wonder why it hardly ever seems to leave the platform by itself. just crawls off every few days for about 2 minutes before sleep. It used to climb down daily.

Well I can leave things as they are but definitely not the water bowl it is splashing it all over the place. I can put the electric outlet further away but it is just to dangerous. I will need a heavier ceramic water bowl so it don't topple it.

I would just leave the paper there for it to hide under if it chooses. They do some strange things sometimes. At least they seem strange to us. I'm sure that to the ig it makes perfect sense.
As it gets older it will become more secure and will use more of the cage. My female spends most of her time on her shelf. She goes to the floor to eat and sometimes will sleep down there. Or to scratch at the door if she wants out.
Usually to beg for a peice of bread!

How many thermometers do you have in your iguana's cage? If you only have one are you sure it's accurate? perhaps what you thought were the correct temperatures really were too high, and now that you've turned the temp down a bit you've got it right.

Depending on the size of your cage you should have two or three themometers. One in what you think is the warm area, and one in what you think is the cool area. A third thermometer that you are sure is accurate can be used to spot test the temps where you have your other thermometers placed just to be sure that the readings are correct.

So what exactly are your day and night time cage temps?

The second potential problem - you have a plug or an electrical connection IN the cage? Is that where the light plug is attached to an extension cord or something? If I were you I would make sure all electrical connections are outside the cage.

Find out at a hardware store how to cut the electical cord and re-attach another plug onto it if that's what you have to do to push the cord through a hole in the wall of the cage to get the plug attachment OUT of the cage.

As you've discovered electrical connections inside the cage could be a hazard. If your iguana manages to spill water on the connection again, or even if he say poops off the ledge and it hits the electrical connection that could end up causing the electrical connection to short and result in you have to replace the light fixtures or whatever else was connected, and or the electrical connection getting wet could pose a shock hazard to the iguana or even yourself. Also, if a problem with the electrical connection being in the cage did result in smoke damage, a fire or injury your insurance company might find you at fault and not cover the damages (maybe).

How is your cage set up? Is it easy for your iguana to get up and down from the basking area? If the angles are too step or if your branch or ramp is too narrow or doesn't feel secure enough for your ig to use it might be avoiding moving from the basking area for that reason. Or perhaps the rest of the cage is not warm enough and the ig doesn't like moving from it's warm area. (try to think like an iguana )

As for the newspaper ... while it's inconvient that he might spill the water when he burrows under the paper, it's fairly normal behaviour for an iguana. I've heard of lots of igs that like to burrow under towels or blankets to sleep.

My iguana Napoleon (no longer around ) used to love to burrow under a towel at night. He eventually trained us to put out a folded hand towel near his bed time and he'd go and lie with his head resting on the towel (nice pillow) and then we'd cover him up with his towel. He loved it and it used to suit me just fine 'cause I like to read at night and he was a free roamer in our bedroom so I knew that the light wasn't bothering him.

Dragonden, Of course I have two thermometers one on the warm and one on the cool end. I do not have any electrical plug inside the cage of course. It is outside. But the cage is open air so the water is splashed out and it is strong so it splashes it several feet away.
I'll see what I can do about the towel I will need to try it first to see if he wants to eat it. It has tried to eat shirts before.

Originally Posted by Dragonden

How many thermometers do you have in your iguana's cage? If you only have one are you sure it's accurate? perhaps what you thought were the correct temperatures really were too high, and now that you've turned the temp down a bit you've got it right.

Depending on the size of your cage you should have two or three themometers. One in what you think is the warm area, and one in what you think is the cool area. A third thermometer that you are sure is accurate can be used to spot test the temps where you have your other thermometers placed just to be sure that the readings are correct.

So what exactly are your day and night time cage temps?

The second potential problem - you have a plug or an electrical connection IN the cage? Is that where the light plug is attached to an extension cord or something? If I were you I would make sure all electrical connections are outside the cage.

Find out at a hardware store how to cut the electical cord and re-attach another plug onto it if that's what you have to do to push the cord through a hole in the wall of the cage to get the plug attachment OUT of the cage.

As you've discovered electrical connections inside the cage could be a hazard. If your iguana manages to spill water on the connection again, or even if he say poops off the ledge and it hits the electrical connection that could end up causing the electrical connection to short and result in you have to replace the light fixtures or whatever else was connected, and or the electrical connection getting wet could pose a shock hazard to the iguana or even yourself. Also, if a problem with the electrical connection being in the cage did result in smoke damage, a fire or injury your insurance company might find you at fault and not cover the damages (maybe).

How is your cage set up? Is it easy for your iguana to get up and down from the basking area? If the angles are too step or if your branch or ramp is too narrow or doesn't feel secure enough for your ig to use it might be avoiding moving from the basking area for that reason. Or perhaps the rest of the cage is not warm enough and the ig doesn't like moving from it's warm area. (try to think like an iguana )

As for the newspaper ... while it's inconvient that he might spill the water when he burrows under the paper, it's fairly normal behaviour for an iguana. I've heard of lots of igs that like to burrow under towels or blankets to sleep.

My iguana Napoleon (no longer around ) used to love to burrow under a towel at night. He eventually trained us to put out a folded hand towel near his bed time and he'd go and lie with his head resting on the towel (nice pillow) and then we'd cover him up with his towel. He loved it and it used to suit me just fine 'cause I like to read at night and he was a free roamer in our bedroom so I knew that the light wasn't bothering him.

Can you wrap the plug with some electrical tape to protect it from "accidental" moisture?