Saturday, January 5, 2013

Iguanas as Pets and Building a Home for Them,

By Sebastian Cork


Iguanas are not your typical or ordinary house pets. They're as adorable as dogs and cats but they certainly need more effort and time when it comes to maintaining them for survival. They are traditionally not domesticated as they naturally live in the wild. Therefore, there is some uncertainty when keeping them as pets and placing them in captivity. The question is; can they really survive when you put them in iguana cages? So if you're planning to have one as a pet, then the good news is that it is feasible. However, you do need to take special care and lots of effort when keeping one. These animals are born into the wild as cold blooded and because of that, their survival basically depends on the amount of heat as well as consistency of the same. They must be able to thrive in an environment where heat is present at all times and the very purpose of this is to enable them to get the warmth they need for survival. Without it, they will most definitely die.

As a consequence, the lack of, or insufficient heat around them, will eventually threaten the very existence of the iguanas. What happens then is that they will likely stop eating and digesting altogether. If they're in their natural habitat, they can usually be seen on top of three branches which gives them just get enough heat from the sun. They are by nature tree-dwelling reptiles and eat plants to survive. However, they require a wide variety of plant species in order to satisfy their nutritional requirements. So, having them as pet entails the owner gaining access to many different kinds of plants with which to feed them.

Iguanas are particularly found in tropical rainforests and the main reason for this is because the area provides them with the best source of food and shelter. Hence, there's a great responsibility on your part when it comes to building iguana cages that will suitably emulate the natural environment these reptiles are used to. The purpose of building a good and favorable environment will correspond to a bigger chance of survival for the animals. Consequently, it's a good idea to put in some effort to understand a few guidelines when you've finally decided to have an iguana at home:

The usual and average size of an adult iguana can be five - six feet in length. So if you are going to make sure that yours will survive and live a longer life while in captivity, you have to ensure that the home you're providing is big enough. At this point, having a cage double the size of the iguana will be enough. However, if you haven't had time to prepare a new cage, you can temporarily purchase or use a small aquarium. This will serve only as a temporary shelter and in the end you will still have to build something that is more conducive and comfortable for the iguanas. Bear in mind that living in very tight and narrow spaces will result in iguanas being depressed and potentially lead to their death.

Additionally, you might also prefer a mesh enclosure, assuming that the area you are living is warm or at least predominantly so during the entire year. But if you're in a winter prone area, then you must look for or build a better cage. In this case, you might need a large glass terrarium. The same is much better than a mesh enclosure because it is able to trap heat inside. Furthermore, you also have to build iguana cages that have heating lamps or even better, UVB lamps. These things are extremely important for providing aid for heating the inside of the cage.

Finally, be reminded that iguanas are tree-dwelling animals and they will always be that way even if they are in captivity. So to satisfy their natural born instincts, you must place climbing items and accessories in your iguana cages. Every climbing structure you place must of course be solid and durable enough to carry the weight of an adult iguana.




About the Author:



No comments: