From: dave@aficom.ocunix.on.ca (Dave Hunter)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: iguanas: can they wander freely in your home?
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 16:19:44 -0400
Reply-To: dave@aficom.ocunix.on.ca (Dave Hunter)
Distribution: world
Organization: AFI Communications - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:

| I was considering buying one of those larger iguanas.  Do you have to keep
| these things in a tank all the time, or can you let them wander around your
| house (like you would a cat)?


Iguanas, especially larger specimens do appreciate a large environment 
in which to live. My Ig has never been kept in an aquarium, but remains 
confined to one room by the use of the already installed door. Even 
when the door is left open the lizard rarely ventures into the other 
parts of the house as all it requires can be found in this one room.

Igs like to be warm (75-80 degrees). They like a draft free window to
look out of and they like to be up high.

If you plan on having a "loose lizard" there are a few things you 
should consider. 

1) They have a large clumsy tail that can and will knock anything off a 
shelf or window ledge that is not securely fastened down. Do not try to 
cultivate plants in your ig. room as they will surely get eaten. Most 
house plants are infact toxic and having a vegetarian lizard eat one 
usually results in problems. On the other hand, growing tomatoe plants 
wont be very productive as they will get munched long before any fruit 
appear. Best to forget about plants in this one room.

Go to a local hardware  store and grab some 1 X 2 's. Suspend these 
from ceiling plant hangers so that the ends meet and form a square 
about 1 foot from the ceiling. Secure the corners with nails, screws, 
glue and place two or three triangular pieces of water proof (kitchen 
counter type wood) in the corners of your square. These can be used as 
a feeding area and basking area for your lizard. 

Igs get rather big and heavy with time. It is adviseable to take this 
into consideration when constructing your little habitate. Building a 
square four feet by four feet for a six foot lizard kind of defeats the 
purpose. Same thing with the triangular pieces in the corners. They
need to be large enough for you to place water and food and give the
ig. enough room to support his body (tail is not important, let it 
dangle). 

Igs tend to soil on the same spot day after day once they get used to 
their new home. Once this spot has been established, plastic sheeting 
can be used to capture the droppings and keeps clean up easy.

Above one of the triangular corners but far enough away so that the 
lizard wont be tempted to touch it ( a foot or so), install a grow
light fixture of some sort, capable of using a 60w incandescent grow
bulb. Turn this light on for approx. 10 hours a day and soon your ig 
will be basking in its warm nourishing glow on the appropriate 
triangle, occasionally leaving for a bite to eat and possibly a drink, 
then to return for more "fun in the sun".

With a little forethough, you can plan where you want the ig to spend 
most if its time as that will be under the light. 

That is really all these beasts need. You can be as simple or as 
elaborate as you want, incorporating tree stumps, ropes, ladders etc in 
your setup if you feel so inclined. Common sense should prevail in any 
situation though. If on a warm summer day you want to leave a window
open for some fresh air, remember that igs jump and a 6 foot ig weighing
25 lbs will most certainly knock your average screen right out of the 
window when it lands on it.

Other things to consider:
- other pets (dogs and cats) should be kept away from your Ig.
- electronics should not be located under your Ig. (Come on ask me
  why :-) )
- small lizards can get into heating vents and under doors
- central air conditioning can chill your critter (close off this room)
- provide a means for your ig to get back to his perch should he 
  jump/fall off

Best of luck and I know that you will enjoy your pet far more in the 
open than you would if it was confined to a cage.

This about all I can think of off the top of my head, if you have any 
questions, send me mail.

Rgds.