Proper Iguana Cage Setup For Green Iguana Cages - Keep Your Pet Healthy

There are always a lot of questions concerning the care of a new pet, and even more so for an exotic pet like an iguana. Iguanas have basic health needs that must be met by their habitat, so that is one of the first concerns you should have when choosing a home for your new friend. Following are some helpful tips for anyone trying to decide what may be the best cage for their pet iguana.

1) Size is the first consideration when buying an iguana cage. Many people believe the myth that an iguana will not grow large if it's kept in a small cage, but this simply isn't true. A healthy iguana can grow up to 6 feet in length, so you'll have to be able to make arrangements for it - either an outdoor cage, or a room in your home dedicated to a very large cage. Of course, if you're buying a juvenile iguana, you won't need a cage that large to start off with. But the cage that you do use will need to give your iguana room to move and climb, and shouldn't be cramped in any way.

2) Iguanas, of course, are reptiles, which means they're cold blooded creatures and as such can not self-regulate their body temperature; they depend on their environment for that. The habitat you use for your iguana needs to keep them warm enough to allow them to proper digest food and stay healthy. Heat lights on the top of the cage are a common solution, but make sure that your pet can also move away from the lights to cool down if he starts feeling over heated.

3) Humidity and moisture are another concern when it comes to keeping your iguana healthy. One of the most common causes of death in pet iguanas is kidney failure caused by dehydration. This - and less serious skin conditions - can be prevented by maintaining a healthy level of humidity in your iguanas habitat. If you have a room humidifier, running it near your iguanas cage may all that's needed. There are also automatic misting systems that can be installed in your pet's home. If that's beyond your means, frequent misting with a spray bottle (several times a day) and allowing your pet to get in the tub with a couple inches of water can suffice.

4) Light is another very important consideration for your iguana. It's important to have a source of both UVA and UVB light, and the best source of this is the sun. Unfortunately, plastic and glass habitats tend to filter the necessary UV rays, and can also become super heated if in direct sunlight. If you have a secure, screened outdoor enclosure where you pet can move in and out of sunlight as needed, that's the best option. Other than the sun, your iguana cage should also include an artificial source of UVA and UVB light. This is in order to make up for days when the sunlight is not enough for your iguana.

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