Replover,

I haven't been on in awhile...nursing my little ig's and trying to learn as much as I can.......you are an inspiration!!!! How old is he/she in hte first pic? Looks to be a little larger than mine. I got them in the beginning of Oct., adopted from someone who bought them via the internet with her husband....he left her so she gave me his igs. They were very small when I got them and it has been a long and tireless road....learning and worrying about them, but they are doing much better now and your pics truly inspire me. GREAT job!!!! Any good tips and/or secrets for me?
Thanks and once again.....awesome, awesome, awesome!
shelli

Hi Shelli, I can't be 100% sure of its age in the first pic. That was the day I bought it. In fact, that photo was taken in the pet shop. The store owner said 1.5 months, then later backpedalled and said 3 months. Then he mentioned that the smaller igs were 3 months old and that this one was left over from the last shipment, hence its slightly bigger size, and it was actually 6 months, but he "couldn't remember for sure". 6 months sound right as the size matches. So I guess now it is 7 and a half months old, considering I've had it for a month and a half or so.

As for tips and secrets... LOL! I'm usually the guy firing off questions here. I've finally achieved the "being asked" status. Yay!
Even though I have only had Liv Tyler for about 7 weeks and this is the first time I've kept an iguana, I have done a lot of research and learned a lot from this website and the gang here in the forum. My biggest advice here is to hang out here often and read the posts and ask away like I did like there is no tommorow! In my opinion, this is the best site and the people here are great!

As far as what I've done that I found particularly helpful were to build it a big enclosure (mine is 6 X 4 X 4 feet) with lots of climbing areas.

A good UVB source is a must. I myself use a Rep-Pro SB Mercury vapor bulb on its favorite basking spot, and also a 4 foot long Repti Glo 8.0 so there is still UVB on the other areas of the platform. I really did notice a big change in his appetite after adding the MVB. I use Rep-Pro because I live in Hong Kong and this is the only one that I can get that is of decent price. It's pretty good. I also hear that the MVBs from ReptileUV called Mega Ray are awesome and the best there is, but I have never used them myself.

A good diet is of course essential. I get different foods here in Hong Kong so I don't follow the recommended diets exactly on many websites because I can't get Collards and such here, but if you are over there, you may also try following the diet they recommend on the "How To" articles on this site.
Liv Tyler's diet consists of Mustard Greens, Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage), Escarole, Tung Ho, Watercress, also turnip greens (when available) as staple greens. Occasional Kale, Bok Choy, Morning Glory are also added. Morning glory is actually supposed to be really good but I can't get it at the store near my house so I only pick some up when I happen to be at the market elsewhere. Staple veggies include Green beans, Bell peppers (red, yellow and green), and Okra. Occasionally Cucumbers, Zuchini and very occasionally tomatoes. Fruits he gets papaya and squash (the orange kind) and pumpkin as staples. He also gets some strawberries and watermelon on occasion. I also add soaked rep-cal juvenile iguana pellets daily, and supplement with Rep-cal calcium (the green label with NO vitamin D3, don't get the other kinds with D3!) and crushed human-use vitamin tablets and also NutribacDf probiotic a couple times a week.

I make sure I handle him everyday no matter how busy I am also. I provide day heat with the MVB and an extra basking bulb to make the temps right, and nighttime I use a regular ceramic heater for household use. I also have a humidifier mister that mists water throughout the cage 24 hours a day to keep humidity up.

I guess that's pretty basic, but I don't know what else to add, but if you have anything else you wanna know, please feel free to ask me or anyone else.

Oh, and for those who don't know Choy Sum, even though its called Chinese Flowering CABBAGE, it's not really like a cabbage and doens't look like one. It has excellent calcium phosphorus ratio. I can't recall exactly off the top of my head but it was something like 7.5:1.

I keep reading about this thing called "Chinese Cabbage Flower Leaves" which should be even better. It has been documented in HUMAN osteoporisis reasearch as having high calcium, low phosphorus, low oxallates etc. Yet, I can't find a chinese name for it and it is frustrating that I am living in China and it's probably everywhere but I don't know what the heck it is. I thought it was the same as Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage) but apparently it is different. If anyone has the chinese translation (unlikely here) or a PHOTO, that would be great.

how in the world did you get him to do that?!? omgosh! thats amazing! My baby is the same size as your's was 42 days ago...what are you feedin that thing and where can I get some?

__________________
-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

geckoguy14, I outlined the diet a few replies above yours. Not sure if it helps because it was that way because I can't get certain foods like collards and dandelion greens but it seems to work fine.

By the way, you seem to list your iguana as female in your signature. If so, and it is the size of mine 42 days ago, how can you tell it is female? Or do you have a new one?

i have it listed as female just because she looks like a girl to me lol. I really have no idea and there's no way to tell this early but it seems to fit her name pretty well. When I find out in a year and a half what she/he really is i'll let ya know and change my signature accordingly.

__________________
-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

Oh Love,
how beautiful! What a difference! Like everyone else has said, you are doing a fantastic job! He couldn't have asked for a better daddy. I'm real happy for you, and you two look so cute together! You obviously have a lot of love to give (maybe that's why I keep calling you Love, lol), keep it up and be proud.

Anthony-

You really need to clip the iguanas nails! LOL

Better to get it used to this now than later.

There are several methods. Some use regular fingernail clippers, some use bird nail clippers, I use a dremel tool with a grinding stone attachment and some use a nail melter.

It will aid in holding the iguana an eliminate the need for the sock-sleeves.

Think about it.

__________________
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

Anthony,
Thanks for taking the time to outline your "program" for me. I think you joined right before I did, so that would give you seniority over me! This last weekend I made a "salad" for them, collard greens,escarole, carrots, green beans, parsley,turnips, crushed alfalfa and calcium powder. The first day they didn't want anything to do with it. Two days later, they are gobbling it up! Anyway, great job. I really appreciate your help and love your questions, you save me from having to write!! You are quite inquisitive and your writing skills when it comes to questioning are extrememly detailed!
Take Care!
shelli