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Shutterbunny Dallas0218 Shutterbunny Dallas0218 |
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Shutterbunny View Profile |
Newbie desert iguana owner needs help
After 2 weeks of talking to pet store people, we decided to buy my son a desert iguana. I now know that the pet store people perhaps aren’t the most knowledgeable and that perhaps the desert iguana wasn’t a great place to start. Anyway, here is a "brief" scenario and my question/questions... Bought the desert iguana on Sunday...pet store sent us home with a 10 gal. tank, combo hood (night, day and UVA/UVB lamps) a little cave and a food and water dish. Told us to give him romaine and maybe a dandelion from our yard for food. By Monday, I’d looked up enough to know that the set up wasn’t really working, the temp in the tank was hovering around 80 from top to bottom and side to side...not warm enough for basking or really for eating as everything I read says 90 or above for good appetite. So, yesterday (Tues) I changed the tank to a 30 gallon, got a bigger hood and higher watt daytime bulb. I also went an purchased water cress, kale, spinach, dandelion greens *not from the yard, fed him 4 from the yard but found out that’s probably not a safe way to go* mango and some squash (acorn or butternut, I don’t remember). Changed out the tank last night and I am aware that the poor little guy is probably majorly stressed, but Monday and yesterday he hung out on his "hammock" under the light (probably attempting to get warm) and after last night (approximately 6pm) he freaked out and went into his rock/cave thing and has not come out. He has eaten almost nothing save the 4 dandelions from the lawn...I don’t know how much a little desert iguana should be eating...he’s maybe 7 inches nose to end of tail. I don’t know how quickly he should be coming around and eating and how much of this is normal because he’s stressed. He has access to food and water (changing food 2X’s a day in effort to be sure it is fresh if he decides to eat) and the temp up in his hammock is now hovering at 95-100 degrees and the rest of the cage is at 85 or so during the day. I guess my questions are as follows... I know stress is bad for ANY animal and certainly reptiles, is this kind of thing "normal" for a desert iguana this new and what can we do to help him through this? How much would he eat each day if he was healthy and happy? Is there a way to get him out of his rock cave and back up on the hammock so at least he’ll be warm and in the UVA/B light? Any other suggestions on what is best for him right now? Thanks, Michelle |
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| 05/30/07 01:44pm |
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Dallas0218 View Profile |
Message To: Shutterbunny In reference to Message Id: 1299076 Newbie desert iguana owner needs help
Brian |
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| 05/31/07 11:53pm |
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Shutterbunny View Profile |
Message To: Dallas0218 In reference to Message Id: 1301118 Newbie desert iguana owner needs help
Thanks, I appreciate it, sorry I didn’t reply earlier to you, I didn’t get a notification that there was an answer tot he post and didn’t check in over the weekend. anyway...yep, he’s eating the dandelion flowers and will eat the dandelion greens I bought as well...on Saturday, he started shedding his skin...it’s coming off in pretty decent sized pieces and he is using the grape vine to rub parts of it off. He is definitely starting to settle in. Thanks again, and I’ll keep updating as needed. |
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| 06/04/07 12:15pm |
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Dallas0218 View Profile |
Message To: Shutterbunny In reference to Message Id: 1305463 Newbie desert iguana owner needs help
Brian |
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| 06/04/07 12:43pm |
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