Welcome to Cuban Rock Iguana.com
If you don't already have a cuban rock iguana and are considering purchasing one,please be aware these are big ,long lived(25-60 years) lizards.
They cant simply be put in a 40 gallon tank with a light,and are certainly not a bearded dragon or leopard gecko as far as ease of care.
Enclosure
For a baby to yearling a cage size of 4x2x2(length/height/width) will suffice.Make sure it is well ventilated and has hide spots for your iguana to sleep.
Also give it basking areas using rocks in different elevations so it can choose it own temp.
After yearling........ its time to get that iguana out of its condo and into his/her mansion.
An adult needs at least a 8x8 or 10x8 enclosure,for people keeping them indoors this usually means a room of their house.A room that is safe for an iguana.(iguana proof)
If you live in a southern state with good climate outdoor housing is best.
Nothing beats the real sun and I have personally seen much happier iguanas not stuck inside. (I would like to have a spot in our photo album dedicated to outdoor housing,so people could get an idea of different construction methods ect.)
Even in southern states they will need a warm retreat for the cooler winter nights.To be safe....60f or below the iguana should be in a "dog house" with heat provided.
This dog house can be a home made box with a door cutout and heating provided by a "pig blanket" .
What the heck is a pig blanket??
It is basically a firm fiber glass device set on the floor which emits heat. The lizard can lay on it to keep warm.You can hook it up to a thermostat or rheostat to control the temperature.
You don't want the whole floor covered,in case the iguana wants to cool off,it will need some floor space for that.
When the nights are very cold closing the house to prevent the iguana from going out is a good idea.If it is in the 50's or below I close my doors.
If the next day is in the 60's or higher I will let the door open.
DIET
Primarily herbivore,with a little animal protein.
Some choose not to feed any animal protein to their cuban rock iguana,that is fine and there will be no harm done.
In the wild they do eat carrion,insects,birds ect.BUT they don't eat it all the time.They are opportunistic feeders and if a cricket walks by they will eat it,but feeding you rock iguana crickets every day is tempting fate.
Too much animal protein stresses the kidneys which leads to a miserable death.
David Blair who is a cyclura breeder and expert recommends no more then 5% of diet(for young iguanas)and 2% (for adults)be animal protein.If he says so its good enough for me.
I also have friends who are breeders and have fed animal protien for years in moderation with no apparent ill effects.
So what are good food items?
80% of diet.Greens.......not lettuce.
partial list:Turnip,collard,book choy, dandelion, mustard, endive, escarole.
20% of diet. Vegetables
partial list:Squashes,green beans,carrots,broccoli(not too much) sweet potato ect.
Use fruits as a treat.
partial list:Banana,strawberry,apple ect.
Give a good vitamin supplement and calcium with d3(if indoors) once or twice a week.
Lighting and temperatures
Uvb is essential,they need it to create vitamin d3 which metabolizes calcium and creates strong bones.
If its a hatchling, a 24-36" fluorescent uvb light will work.For bigger iguanas kept indoors maybe consider a mvb light that acts as both basking and UVB source.For iguanas kept outside.......the sun provides UV lighting free of charge.(and alot more then any expensive store bought light)
As far as temps for basking,the best thing to do is to give the lizard options.
No lizard sits at the exact same temp all day.So providing a basking spot of 100 only will not work.
It should have the option of 95-100 but also 110 and 120 and anywhere in between.It is all about options.A lizard with options is a happy lizard:)
To provide options, give them differnt levels of basking some further from light some closer.
As the rock iguana gets larger ,one light will not heat the entire lizards body,so multiple lights will be needed.
Keep the ambient temps in the high 70's to low 80's and make sure it has a place to escape the heat and cool off if it wants to.
Give you rock ig a normal light cycle 12 hours of day,12 hours of night.
It all sounds complicated but with a little work and some adjustments you will get it right.
If you haven't bought your Iguana yet,you have this time to work on the lighting and heating to get it right before the lizard steps in his new home.
More coming soon!!!!