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Post by draco1 on Jan 12, 2005 6:39:24 GMT -8
What are the proper measurements for a full grown iguana enclosure? If anyone knows please let me know. I want to build draco a new enclosure but i would like it to last thru adulthood. thanks all ;D
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Post by Marie on Jan 12, 2005 9:31:30 GMT -8
This is the recommendation from Iguana for Dlummies.
For an iguana 20-24 SVL or 50-72 STL the minimum dimensions in feet should be 9 X 3 X 6.
But it can be larger than that--as big as you are willing to make it.
Marie
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Post by ig_daddy on Jan 12, 2005 9:33:24 GMT -8
An enclosure for an adult iguana must be, at minimum, 9 ft tall, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. I would recommend some branches for them to climb for exercise, and to thermoregulate when they get too hot under the basking light. If at all possible, I recommend you do what we did. Throw away the enclosure when the ig is about 1 year old, and let him free roam. They are really only happy when they can choose where to go, and when. Go to M. Kapplan's site at www.anaspid.org, to read more on cages, and free roaming. |
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Post by mar on Jan 12, 2005 12:05:16 GMT -8
I like the 4'x8' foot print because of standard sheet good (ply etc etc) sizes. Most of the time the ig will just bask in one place but when he wants to get down and wander no cage is large enough.
All of the foot prints are about the same size so far but more important than the raw size is the amount and layout of climbing shelfs and ramps. You can have a great huge cage but not like it because of terrible ramp layout.
Furthermore I like to make the cage tall enough for me to fully stand up in but I also keep the basking shelves shoulder level or lower. I don't what to have to stand on something to see or get a hold of Bob.
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Post by draco1 on Jan 12, 2005 21:41:11 GMT -8
The only problem i have with free roaming is that i have 9 cats. I am afraid they might hurt Draco. or vice vesa. any suggestions on how to handle that.  |
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Post by Marie on Jan 12, 2005 22:35:43 GMT -8
That might not be a good question to ask. Some people here are not cat people. They might tell you what you can do with your cats. I myself love cats but can't have one.
Joking aside you can give him one room to himself. There are some people who have cats and iguanas who do interact but with 9 cats, I'd say keep them seperate. It is most likely one or more of the cats would not get along with him.
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Post by Tesa on Jan 13, 2005 6:06:25 GMT -8
Hi Draco1  You are absolutely correct about not trusting the cats and ig to be together. We have 6 cats. They all "seem" to get along fine; I have pics of Thrasher and cats laying together, BUT I will not leave them unsupervised. I open Thrashers door when I am in the same room and allow her to choose whether or not she comes out. Most of the time she only comes out for a few minutes and then heads back to her house. |
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Post by draco1 on Jan 13, 2005 12:14:36 GMT -8
i have had draco out before with the cats around and most of the time they just stare at him. but i would NEVER trust the cats alone with him. i keep a squirt bottle at hand and if they are getting too close the cats get a shot of cold water. that of course sends them running. usually if draco is out i put him up high and monitor the cats. it works pretty good. but i really want him to be able to run around . i will prob do the room to himself idea. i think that would work. thanks for your responses. ;D
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Post by prism_wolf on Jan 14, 2005 16:12:42 GMT -8
I know there are some conflicting info here on size dimensions...but you really can get away with something much smaller than a 9' enclosure. It does need to be big! But not everyone has that kind of room. I only have just over a 7' ceiling...maybe 7 1/2...whatever a mobile home's ceiling height is on average.
The suggested minimum size is 6'T x 6'L x 3'D. This is good for any full-grown ig...especially if there is free-roam time which it sounds like you give...with cats and all.
Of course the cats need to be watched...we all know that. Keep water bottle in hand and have at it!
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ericj
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Post by ericj on Mar 5, 2005 12:03:45 GMT -8
I like the 4'x8' foot print because of standard sheet good (ply etc etc) sizes. Most of the time the ig will just bask in one place but when he wants to get down and wander no cage is large enough. All of the foot prints are about the same size so far but more important than the raw size is the amount and layout of climbing shelfs and ramps. You can have a great huge cage but not like it because of terrible ramp layout. Furthermore I like to make the cage tall enough for me to fully stand up in but I also keep the basking shelves shoulder level or lower. I don't what to have to stand on something to see or get a hold of Bob. I, too, am a fan of 8x4 for the exact same reason. It's the closest you can get to an enclosure that is iguana-sized without piecework on the floor, which is more hygenic and requires less care. To others: Although 9+ would be nice, your choices in materials go way down and the costs skyrocket. Adding another 4' to mine was going to more than double the cost. I also believe that providing more depth than 3' is beneficial, and larger enclosures provide more temperature choices. *Warning: More brain picking* What is your opinion on ramps and basking areas? Obviously, they need a more-or-less flat and fairly wide basking area. They also need climbing things that are wider and longer than their bodies... At the moment I am considering using those big plastic sewer pipes (got the idea here) wrapped in bamboo fencing to create a spiral with a couple shortcuts running up to a 3' x 2' basking shelf covered in tight-weave green carpet that hangs ~1.5-2' below the lights, then another shelf 2' below it. I'd mount it with L brackets and tensioned plastic-coated cable. I'd love to use sandblasted cypress, but I live about 2k miles from the nearest tropical swamp, so all the pieces available to me are small or outlandishly expensive. If I had a good source of arbutus branches, I'd use them, but that isn't likely. (One of the most awesome trees you'll ever see - velvety bark, smooth wood, and a really neat color.) |
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Post by Merlin on Mar 7, 2005 6:07:52 GMT -8
When I built Zok's habitat I made her basking shelf I made it 9 inches wide. When she reached close to 4 ft it became difficult for her to turn around on it. I would suggest that the shellf be at least 2 ft wide. The PVC pipe is widely used for climbing devices. If you take rope and wrap it around the pipe it gives a very nice surface for them to climb with plenty of traction for those long toes to grap hold of. With the bambooo fencing I would be concerned that the toes would get caught in the spaces between the bamboo
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Post by Diane on Mar 7, 2005 16:34:59 GMT -8
I agree about the shelf width! we made Narcy's shelves out of 1 x 12's and they are far to narrow for him to 'comfortably' turn around on. we added an additional 1 x 12 to his upper basking shelf and that works out very well. I added the log in his cage so he could climb up that in lieu of the shelves. . .of course old habits die hard so he still uses the shelves! Definitely make your shelves about 2' wide!
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Post by mar on Mar 7, 2005 17:55:16 GMT -8
I like to have a minimum of two ways onto or off of any shelf so the ig does not necessarily have to turn around. Harkens back to my time in theater design. Walking onto something where you have to turn around and use the same entry as an exit is awkward. Multiple entrances allows for circular movement patterns around the cage/stage/house.
I broke this design idea though with my current cage.
Don’t constrain yourself to rectangular shelves and hammocks either, shapes are fun.
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ericj
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Post by ericj on Mar 7, 2005 18:56:51 GMT -8
When I built Zok's habitat I made her basking shelf I made it 9 inches wide. When she reached close to 4 ft it became difficult for her to turn around on it. I would suggest that the shellf be at least 2 ft wide. The PVC pipe is widely used for climbing devices. If you take rope and wrap it around the pipe it gives a very nice surface for them to climb with plenty of traction for those long toes to grap hold of. With the bambooo fencing I would be concerned that the toes would get caught in the spaces between the bamboo Good point. I was worried about resilience, junk in the cage, and possible dangers if it came loose. Rope wouldn't do this at all... Then again, it'll require mounting the brackets in their weak direction. Oh well, I'll figure it out. Thanks for the suggestion! |
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ericj
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Post by ericj on Mar 7, 2005 19:56:43 GMT -8
I like to have a minimum of two ways onto or off of any shelf so the ig does not necessarily have to turn around. Harkens back to my time in theater design. Walking onto something where you have to turn around and use the same entry as an exit is awkward. Multiple entrances allows for circular movement patterns around the cage/stage/house. I broke this design idea though with my current cage. Don’t constrain yourself to rectangular shelves and hammocks either, shapes are fun. That was part of the idea of providing multiple ways onto the shelf. I probably won't be able to do too many odd shapes, I only have 5 usable vertical structural members to attach things to, so it limits some of my options. I will only attach anything that he might climb to aluminum frame members due to his weight and the possibility of the walls giving way provided enough flying reptile force on such a precarious lever. Describing it to my mum, she thought a free-standing 'jungle gym' made of wood would be good, but I worry that it'd be too big/heavy/annoying to move. A couple corner shelves might be a possibility, but I'm quickly eating away my budget for this project, and special sheet cutting is starting to be a major expense... I'm at almost 800 in wall materials/cutting/machining, plus 600 for the frame/machining/fasteners, and I haven't even started ordering my environmental control system parts! I estimate I'm going to spend another 500-800 on that alone... (However, I did get lucky - the VAR for the frame material also sells industrial fluid & air motion components, plus they're very prompt and helpful (unlike the plastics place), so I'll be able to play with their quality air and fluid pumps to find the best for powering the atomizing nozzles. I think their engineers find me entertaining, too.) I think I'm a little too buzzed - I'm finally building something I've always wanted to give him, but nobody made - a home that provides all his environmental needs in spite of the environment outside. |
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