Cheap Pet Insurance

May 5th, 2010 by Lizzie Blount

Exotic pets have a whole different set of needs than your typical dog or cat. If you’re considering a pet like an iguana, one of the first things you’ll need to do is learn what’s necessary to keep them housed comfortably and in good health. Below is a guide to some of the main considerations you should keep in mind while planning a home for your iguana.

1) Despite the myth that iguanas won’t grow large if kept in a small cage, the truth is that healthy iguanas grow up to about 6 feet long. It’s important you take that into consideration when choosing an iguana – you’ll need to eventually have a home big enough to house it comfortably, either indoors or outdoors. If your iguana is a baby, a smaller cage will work in the meantime, but please make sure that the cage isn’t cramped, and that your pet has room to turn around comfortably and lay completely straightened out. It’s also important to have some height, as iguanas love to climb.

2) Iguanas, of course, are reptiles, which means they’re cold blooded creatures and as such can not self-regulate their body temperature; they depend on their environment for that. The habitat you use for your iguana needs to keep them warm enough to allow them to proper digest food and stay healthy. Heat lights on the top of the cage are a common solution, but make sure that your pet can also move away from the lights to cool down if he starts feeling over heated.

3) Humidity is necessary for iguanas to live comfortably and healthy. They come from native habitats with high air humidity, which prevents dehydration, so it’s necessary for you to simulate this in your pet’s home. Lack of humidity can cause skin problems, and can even lead to death from kidney failure. There are many ways to provide humidity, from regular daily mistings and baths, to keeping a humidifier in the room with the iguana, to elaborate automatic misting set ups.

4) Light is another very important consideration for your iguana. It’s important to have a source of both UVA and UVB light, and the best source of this is the sun. Unfortunately, plastic and glass habitats tend to filter the necessary UV rays, and can also become super heated if in direct sunlight. If you have a secure, screened outdoor enclosure where you pet can move in and out of sunlight as needed, that’s the best option. Other than the sun, your iguana cage should also include an artificial source of UVA and UVB light. This is in order to make up for days when the sunlight is not enough for your iguana.

With such a wide variety of iguana cages available, from plastic or glass walls to metal bars, it can be tough deciding what will work for you. If you’re on the search for iguana cages for sale, come and see the various iguana cage setups available on Lizzie Blount’s iguana habitat page.