Actually, ideal basking temps for iguanas is around 95-98 degree F. And providing a "warm area to lay the belly on" is not necessary for digestion. The key ingredients for proper digestion are: good UVB, proper temps (heated from above, not below), and hydration. A weekly supplement of probiotics (Nutribac) will help beneficial bacteria to grow in his gut.

ANY substrate that is made up of particles has the potential to cause impaction. The ONLY iguana enclosure substrate recommended by the staff at HCN are those of a solid nature (paper towels, newspaper, tile, etc.) By not removing the bark, you are allowing your iglet to live in a potentially dangerous situation. I urge you to reconsider this choice.

By the way, welcome to the HCN, iggy718! I commend you for asking questions and learning how to better care for your green friend.

__________________
~~Steph

"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck

Greetings Noreen-

I'm very confused about your information here:

1) Why supplement with oats?
2) Why provide commercial pellets (unless first soaked in water and added to a fresh ig salad for hydration and vitamins)?
3) 103-degrees to eat? Iguanas need minimum of 70-degrees (F) to digest, 95-98 to bask. In my observations, using temp guns and UVB meters, at approximately 100-degrees the iguana will seek shade (and water) to cool off. Where did you get 103 from? That's seems too hot for a green iguana.
4) Not sure I understand the "warm area to lay the belly on". It's the iguanas core temperature that counts for digestion. When the core temps are warm enough, it activates the bacteria in the hind gut to begin digesting food. Generally, iguanas require heat from above (as in the nature setting) to heat their core.

Some of this information seems wrong and misleading. Can you elaborate on it for me?

__________________
Regards,
Dominick
_____________________________________________
"Do you watch too much television? Did you do so as a toddler? Evidence tonight that it could be the cause of learning disorders, like attention deficit and hyperact-Ooooh, a kitty!" - Keith Olbermann

when i take iggy out of the tank I just hold him n pet him what else should I do and how is a proper way to hold him?

also iggy is making sounds while I hold him somthing like sneezing anyone know what that means?

See this article to see if this is what you are talking about

If so it is normal.

__________________
Jan. 25, 1963 - Sept. 10, 2006 (R.I.P)

We try to keep their environment as close to natural as possible.
Why supplement with oats?
They need the oats, but that is only 5 % of the entire diet.
We offer pellets to be present at all times like all animals you can never predict when they are hungry and this supplies an extra source between feedings.
Iguanas as with all reptiles control the temperature of their own bodies we supply a very warm side that may reach 103 degrees and a cool side. The basking spots are place in different areas around the enclosure we have rocks under the uvb basking lights, in the middle of the enclosure and on the cool side of the enclosure. All our iggys after eating rest on the basking rock this does help with metabolism.
As in nature you will see iguanas basking away on rocks etc. Wild iggys also like to climb the trees and catch the sunlight up there.
Iguanas absorb heat from the all around the body not just from the top.
An iguana will not usually eat if the temperature is too cool, ours are fed after noon time when they have had time to warm up. There are lots of sites that show wild iguanas. It is fascinating to read about them in the wild.
I hope this has answered your questions.
Our Mascot is Baby she is a 6 foot female iguana that is close to 20 years old. We try to observe them in the natural habitat and recreate as much as possible. Unfortunately iguanas are the most discussed animals and no one has all the answers even after all these years. There are web pages out there that still say to feed your hatchlings crickets, go figure.
As long as we keep our animals happy and healthy that is what matters and no one does everything the same way as everyone else.
Thanks for the questions great discussion hope to have more.

__________________

I just like to comment on this part for those who may not have read the whole thread. I too feel they like to warm their bellies. I know you are not recommending hot rocks but some people may use this to justify them. I know when I used to take Baby and Dragon outside daily, they loved the warmth of the asphalt and it was warmer than a hot rock. They would move when the spot they were on cooled. That is the difference though. Once they lay on a sun warmed rock or tree branch in the wild the heat is cut off to it and the animal absorbs the heat. Hot rocks stay at the same constant temperature. It is not hot enough for the animal to burn themselves to just to touch which lulls them to it. They don't realize that it is slowly cooking them. That's why I say hot rocks are iguana slow cookers. I use my hot rock (cord cut off), and regular rocks in my basking areas and my iguanas love them. But they would also get heat on their bellies from a basking light warmed shelf. The majority of their heat is from above which I believe is how it should be. The heat of the rocks and branches in the wild comes from the radiant heat provided from the sun above. Just like the heat on your rocks are provided from the radiant heat from the basking area. But again solid shelves will also work. If a basking area is provided the animal will get warmth on the stomach but that heat originated from the radiant heat from above. Just like the heat from the ambient air is provided from the radiant heat. That is the way it is in nature too the sun above provides the heat of the ambient air and the rocks/branches. So providing radiant heat from above in our enclosures will provide heat all around the iguana too.

__________________
Jan. 25, 1963 - Sept. 10, 2006 (R.I.P)

Welcome to Hc Noreen and congrats on your little green friend. I wish you both well...
I would like to tell you a story about substrates.. I own 3 iguanas and I was like you at one point in time. I had reptile bark in the floor of my 7year old males cage. I was also told that it was ok for him to have it in there but it is not. I was very lucky that Iggy never did ingest any of the bark. If he would have ingested the bark it could have caused an obstruction in his bowels and impacted him, which means he would not have been able to pass anything and that could kill him. The bark can also get inside the cloaca and cause serious problems to their well private parts.

So please take out the bark it is just not worth having in there because it looks good..

Debbie Iggy Bam-Bam and Miss Zak

__________________
It is better to have loved a green baby than not to have loved one at all.

how do I get hime to get used to me do I just take him out and hold him?

It will take time, for him to get comfy with you. I have had mine for 3 months now and each day gets a tiny bit better. At first, it was a chase around the encloser to a corner then get her in hand , and bring out of the encl. After about 2 weeks of daily handling the running stopped as long as I approached slow and from below. Now I open the encloser and slowly pet her under the chin. I still have to move my hand over her to pick up but am making progress toward slideing my fingers under the belly. Once out of the cage she likes to look outside while sitting on the coffee pot ' covered by a towel and cooled off '. Each day is getting more fun as she is not as nervous, and is exploring more. THe kitchen counter is a whole new world to check out, after it is checked for possible hazards like bits of paper ,staples, anything ingestable thats bad etc. My point is it takes time to tame and socialize an iggy, weeks or months it depends on the ig and how much time you can spend handling each day.
Heres a couple good books to check out,, Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan and,, Green Iguana the ultimate owners manuel by Jim Hatfield. Hatfields book goes into more detail . Both are available on Amazon .com . Good luck and remember take the small success es as they come. Paul

Taming an iguana takes alot of patience. I've had Diz for over a year now and we seem to have backpedaled a long way after he went into season. He was a nice sweet boy who loved to be hand fed when I got him and now he's a monster who doesnt like to be handled, but I do it anyways to keep him familiar with it.
So don't freak out if one day things seem great and then you are at odds the next!
Good Luck!

__________________

"If you're not falling, you're not trying." - Sonni Trotter

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos