Iguana Care - Lighting

Iguana Care

Lighting

 WEEKLY TIP #1

There are a few things to remember about Iguana's, their bellies have no nerve sensations close to the surface, therefore, the use of heat rocks is strongly discouraged, if the rock malfunctions as heat rocks do, and becomes too hot, it will cause your Iguana to get a burn. The other thing to remember is if your Ig is free roam, you should invest in some outlet plugs that people buy when child proofing their house. An Ig is as stated before; naturally curious, they lick everything! That is how sense, and that is how they know who you are, by your taste and an Iguana's tongue on an exposed outlet, power bar or extension cord could spell the end of your beloved Ig. (This caution also applies to their nails)

LIGHTING

One of the most important aspects of having an Iguana is to have the correct lights.  You can purchase the traditional black metal clamp lights housing, they are relatively inexpensive but very versatile for both habitat style environments as well as basking shelf environments.

The bulbs are available in various strengths, depending on the size of your Ig, basking shelf, habitat will dictate what size basking bulb you will need. Basking bulbs are UVA lights, it produces heat mimicking what the sun would do. In addition to UVA lights, it is important for you to have a UVB bulb, these bulbs are available in the same format as the basking bulbs requiring the same black metal clamp light housing, or the other option available is a UVB florescent tube available in a many sizes. These lights produce no heat to speak of, but are just as essential to the health and well being of your Iguana as the heat lamps. UVB lights give off rays that will aid your Ig's body to naturally process calcium. These bulbs help your Ig's skin to produce Vitamin D2 which is then naturally converted to Vitamin D3 which is what your Ig needs to use the calcium in his diet properly.  If calcium is not properly digested, your Ig can develop metabolic bone disease (deformation of bones), seizures tremors and eventually death.

When setting up the UVB lighting, be sure the bulb is 10 to 18 inches from where your Ig likes most to basket, any further away and it becomes ineffective, also keep in mind that they should not be filters with glass or plastic covers as these will filter out the beneficial rays. These lights need to be changed optimally twice a year for although they will still light up, they stop producing the UVB rays. While Ig's like to bask in windows, this is not adequate for the production of UVB rays, they will be filtered out from the glass. As well if you are thinking of placing your Ig's cage by a window, make sure that it does not become to heated.

The basking area should be about 35C (95F) while the rest of the cage should be about 26C to 31C (80F to 88F). If you use a habitat setting for your Ig, make sure there is a shady cooler spot for your Ig to go when he feels too hot. Ig's sense heat from above not below hence the reason the use of heat rocks is strongly discouraged. At night the temperature should go down to 24C to 26C (75F to 80F). This temperature can be achieved by having a ceramic heater installed in a ceramic socket, a heating pad set on low in the bottom of the habitat or shelf can also assist with the ambient temperature.  As your Ig gets cold, he becomes very sluggish as his muscles become paralysed.  It is, however when weather permits to let your Ig sun outside, however that having been said, it could present a whole other set of problems. Never leave your Ig unattended, it may become too hot for him, if there is any chance of escape he will find it, so you may want to re-think that option.

Humidity is also an important part of Iguana care, basking area's or cages should be about 80% humid, Iguana's come naturally from very humid climates and the humidity will assist in the shedding process.  In basking areas, a cool mist humidifier can be used, as well, misting your Ig a couple times a day or having a drip system in your Ig's habitat, will also aid in the humidity control.

The most important thing to remember about lighting is that it is designed to mimic the sun in an Iguana's natural habitat, when it becomes light in the room, his lights should come on, when it becomes dark, the lights should then be turned off this is easiest with the use of a timer.

Next in this series: Food... Your Iguana is NOT a Compost Bin!

published 2 years ago

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