just a few additions to John T's excellent reply.............

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Posted by IGUANA JOE on May 05, 2001 at 22:22:35:

In Reply to: Long list of questions from soon to come owner posted by Fred The Lizard on May 05, 2001 at 17:45:23:

: 1. is it ok to mainly let your iguana free roam around the house with a basking light here and there for him to bask. and some food dishes around.

only once ur ig is not stressed out of the change in environment, and he's tame and potty-trained. Also, the WHOLE house should be ig-proff. Fragile things should be put away, and make sure it won't knock off things, or injure itself.

: 2. (silly question) can an iguana be trained to like scratch on the door when he wants to pee or something or be trained to go in a litter box.(a guy said he got his tegu to scratch the door, and i got both of my previous rabbits to be litter trained, this only needs to be answered if you think its ok for them to free roam)

Some monitors and Solomon's skinks actaully do that! They scratch on the window/door to say "hey let me out! i gotta pee!"
I havent heard of igs doing that, so make sure you know when ur ig poops. Usually juvies poop twice-3x a day, and adults once-twice a day. Like John stated, water help a lot.

: 3. Just exactly how fast are they, if i let him in the back yard(which is fenced) if he started to run could i catch him. (i have a collared lizard already and i know i couldn't catch him,SPEED DEMON)

Even bulky males can be quiet fast, and their sharp claws will make sure that they arent the easiest to catch! So study your ig's movements and behaviors, so u can predict its intentions.

: 4. exactly what is your salad made of about the only things i've heard to put in it that has remained constant is squash and some leafy greens for a dessert the rest have all had a variety of things to put in with the squash

BABY CARROTS, shredded finely, are a HUGE help. They contain carotene, and are good for the skin and eyes. Red, cooked beans (Goya) are rich in iron. Smush them and mix them in your salad.
Prunes are great if your igs becomes constipated.

: 5. i live in northern florida. if i let my iggy out every day to sun himself in my back yard for awhile would he still need a uvb light.

NFla can be quiet cool in the cooler months, i heard. So yes, like JT stated, u still need UV bulbs. At night, u can put a ceramic heat lamp or heat pad.

: 6. i have a calcium adder already that i use for my collared that has calcium and D3 but no phosphurus, would this stuff work since the iggy will get the phos he needs (which i know is not much) from his salad.

This is where a lot of conflicts start to happen.
Although John is correct with the ig making its own D3 from the UV and sun, supplementsof Calcium with D3 included help absorption, and i've used those with success. You never know, so to be on the safe side, get Calcium with D3 included. DO NOT get D3 supplements alone,they may become fatal.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

I J

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Well, Ig Joe, I guess we're gonna confuse Fred pretty badly.... JohnT 05/06/01 (0)

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: : 1. is it ok to mainly let your iguana free roam around the house with a basking light here and there for him to bask. and some food dishes around. : only once ur ig is not stressed out of the change in environment, and he's tame and potty-trained. Also, the WHOLE house should be ig-proff. Fragile things should be put away, and make sure it won't knock off things, or injure itself. : : 2. (silly question) can an iguana be trained to like scratch on the door when he wants to pee or something or be trained to go in a litter box.(a guy said he got his tegu to scratch the door, and i got both of my previous rabbits to be litter trained, this only needs to be answered if you think its ok for them to free roam) : Some monitors and Solomon's skinks actaully do that! They scratch on the window/door to say "hey let me out! i gotta pee!" : I havent heard of igs doing that, so make sure you know when ur ig poops. Usually juvies poop twice-3x a day, and adults once-twice a day. Like John stated, water help a lot. : : 3. Just exactly how fast are they, if i let him in the back yard(which is fenced) if he started to run could i catch him. (i have a collared lizard already and i know i couldn't catch him,SPEED DEMON) : Even bulky males can be quiet fast, and their sharp claws will make sure that they arent the easiest to catch! So study your ig's movements and behaviors, so u can predict its intentions. : : 4. exactly what is your salad made of about the only things i've heard to put in it that has remained constant is squash and some leafy greens for a dessert the rest have all had a variety of things to put in with the squash : BABY CARROTS, shredded finely, are a HUGE help. They contain carotene, and are good for the skin and eyes. Red, cooked beans (Goya) are rich in iron. Smush them and mix them in your salad. : Prunes are great if your igs becomes constipated. : : 5. i live in northern florida. if i let my iggy out every day to sun himself in my back yard for awhile would he still need a uvb light. : NFla can be quiet cool in the cooler months, i heard. So yes, like JT stated, u still need UV bulbs. At night, u can put a ceramic heat lamp or heat pad. : : 6. i have a calcium adder already that i use for my collared that has calcium and D3 but no phosphurus, would this stuff work since the iggy will get the phos he needs (which i know is not much) from his salad. : This is where a lot of conflicts start to happen. : Although John is correct with the ig making its own D3 from the UV and sun, supplementsof Calcium with D3 included help absorption, and i've used those with success. You never know, so to be on the safe side, get Calcium with D3 included. DO NOT get D3 supplements alone,they may become fatal. : Good luck, and keep us posted! : I J

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