Iguana Cage Heat: A Temperature Spectrum for Your Iguana Cage - Part 3 of 3

Middle Temperature

The middle temperature area of your iguana cage is where your pet will spend the majority of the day. This is where you should place your pet’s food and water dishes, although your iguana will probably head to the basking area soon after eating in order to digest comfortably. Your middle temperature area should be lit with at least one UVB fluorescent bulb, possibly in addition to incandescent household bulbs if needed to make the temperature of the zone between eighty six and ninety degrees. With the middle temperature area, as with the other zones in the iguana cage, you can control the temperature by changing the proximity of the light bulbs to the the iguana cage; the closer they are, the warmer the area will be. Your iguana will probably spend at least twelve hours per day in the middle temperature zone of the iguana cage, so most of the climbing equipment and other recreational items you have for your iguana should be in this area. The cool spot and basking spot should take up a relatively small area of space compared to the middle temperature zone.

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Iguanas Require Space

Many new iguana owners do not realize the space requirements for their new friends. As soon as the igs outgrow their iguana cages, they sometimes, sadly, release the lizards into the urban wild. There are kind souls who rescue found iguanas, but this is a terrible trend that needs to stop.

EXPLORER News - News, Sports & Entertainment for Oro Valley, Marana & Northwest Tucson:
McKnight and his partner, Melanie Shroyer, have about 40 non-native reptiles living at their Marana home, most of which started out as cute pets but grew up. Their guests include 17 hulky iguanas, three African spurred tortoises that each weigh about 100 pounds, and a crocodile monitor that could grow as long as 19 feet.

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Iguana Cage Heat: A Temperature Spectrum for Your Iguana Cage - Part 2 of 3

Cool Spot
The cool area in your iguana cage should have a temperature in the range between seventy and eighty four degrees. Because fluorescent lights don’t emit as much heat as incandescent bulbs when they are lit, fluorescent lighting is a good choice for the cool area in your iguana cage. You can bring the temperature down further by providing lots of shade coverage in this spot, using real or fake foliage to block some of the direct light from the bulbs. The cool area provides a place for your iguana to head if the heat of the room where the iguana cage is becomes too intense, or if your pet overstays a comfortable amount of time in the basking area.

Basking Area
Every iguana cage needs a basking area, which offers the most intense heat for your pet. The basking area should be between ninety two and ninety six degrees. This area of the iguana cage provides a substitute for the direct midday sunlight that your iguana relies on in the wild. Your iguana needs the heat of a basking area for good health; however, it’s only fully safe to have a basking spot if your iguana also has a cool place elsewhere in the cage to retreat to if the heat becomes overpowering.

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Iguana Cage Heat: A Temperature Spectrum for Your Iguana Cage - Part 1 of 3

An iguana cage that mimics the natural habitat of an iguana as fully as possible is an iguana cage that will make your pet as happy as it can be in captivity. Just as the wild offers both shade and sun, coolness and warmth, your iguana cage can have a variety of temperate zones. In order to provide your iguana with an environment that feels natural, and offers all of the health benefits of nature, you’ll want to plan to have a spectrum of temperatures in your iguana cage. To create an ideal temperature climate for your pet, you’ll need three distinct temperature zones: a cool area, a middle temperature area, and a basking area. Iguanas do not have the ability to internally regulate their own body temperature, but can affect their temperature by placing themselves in hot or cold areas. If your pet needs to heat up or cool down, you can provide them with the ability to do so by maintaining an iguana cage that has both a warm spot and a cool spot for them to visit, as well as a middle temperature zone where they can relax when they’re comfortable. Read on to learn the ideal temperate range for each of these places in your iguana cage, and the function in your iguana’s day that each will serve.

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