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Posted by IGUANA JOE on November 04, 2002 at 22:29:57:
In Reply to: Hi I am new! Questions???? posted by jenjen on November 04, 2002 at 21:02:58:
Sounds like you didn't do much research on caging and substrate uh? Hehehehe... I'm just kidding... ;)
For caging there are numerous ways to go, and all depends on how much room you have to offer, and how safe you can make it (fire/electrical/heat hazards, etc.).
There are those who suggest to start with medium-size cages for juvies, and move on once they reach 3+ feet.
In my own humble opinion, I'd rather invest $ in a large cage today, and forget about it tomorrow; if not, you pay money for a smaller cage, and then twice as much since you'll have to make it bigger sooner or later. I like to think in longrun.
The rule of thumb is 6 feet in length, 4 feet in depth, and 6 or seven in height.
However, a more ideal size is adding a foot to each dimension, or more depending on how much you can spare. Eventually, if your ig tames well, you can let it free-roam in a room or house, and the cage will become mostly a fedding/sleeping/basking place.
I had a friend who turned a closet into an enclosure, another a small guest-room no longer used. There are folks who make three of the walls in tiles with a drain at the bottom (usually giving up a small guest bathroom shower or just doing some plumbing). This method is fairly popular, since the tiles make cleaning a snap.
Depending on where you live, you can be confined to in-door enclosures, or have the option of out-door enclosures. The latter is the best anyone can offer to any reptile, and usually can be made quiet big!
Some people use ply-wood for the three walls (the fourth usually being glass or mesh), others plastic. Or glass all-around.
I went with rubber-coated wire mesh all-around. The enclosure I used to have was 8 feet long, wide, and high. Oh yeah, it was a beauty! It was in a guest room, and if we ever had a "full house" I just disassembled it and let my iguana in my room.
Which brings us to another issue: make sure it is simple to disassemble and move, since you never know.
If you visit cagesbydesign.com you can see their designs. They are overly priced, and too small for a full-grown iguana, but you can try to replicate it.
It is becoming a trend among herpers to do-it-yourself, and often you see people (usually the husbands or parents) build some exceptional and functional enclosures.
There's a good book by Barlett on terrarium and cages designs, so you can grab it and check it out. It is also fairly priced.
Here are some quick pointers:
->make sure it holds up heat, but not to the point of cooking the animal.
->make sure it also keeps the necessary humidity.
->make it easy to clean, but not sterile-looking. Be creative. Remember that this is a wild animal, and natural behavior should be -stimulated- and -simulated- the best possible.
->size does matter. The bigger the better.
->make it safe and functional.
As for substrate I used astro-turf. If you wanna know more on how I did it ask and I'll tell you. Others in the mean while will give you other great ideas.
I'm sure you and ur ig will do just fine. Good luck and let us know how things turn out. Welcome to the forum!
-IJ
