The Natural Iguana

Housing the green iguana is always an interesting topic for me, many care websites have there own interpretations on "minimal requirements" mine are a little different also, so I thought I would share some of my thinking behind enclosures, for two reasons, one I am continuously asked this and having a link to just give people would be benefical, and 2. There is very few threads about for iguana enclosure designs aside from minimal dimensional spaces, there are things like layout, useable surface area options, thermal gradients, UV gradients that have to be took into consideration. 

Iguanas are one of those animals that are fundamentally complicated, and least of all because of their biology and physiology, behavioral quirks, but there survival stratergies are not altogether black and white either and there is still much to learn. 

There are different types of iguanas, Big dominant males, dominant females, pseudofemales (these are males) that often don't have the male features, they adapt completely into infiltrating other dominant territories in an attempt to mate without being detected (i.e pretending to be a female) and smaller females too. 

Despite what we read, these big dominant males are actually pretty rare, your talking out of one clutch of eggs, maybe only one or two of those animals acheiving a dominant status, there are many reasons I could think this to be the case, but most here have averaged out at anywhere between 3.5ft, to 5.5ft, anything like 6ft, honestly can say I can count on one hand the amount of iguanas I have seen acheive this, but owners nevertheless should be preparing themselves for that very real possibility on purchasing, one of the main reasons these animals end up in rescue is they are outgrowing most commercially sized vivariums, and a hormonal big dominant male, and even a subdominant male, can make your life a complete misery when driven by hormones, these animals do require more thought to properly care for and house. 

So I thought I would share some thinking behind how I do things here. (many of these enclosures were custom home built) Thanks to Gavins excellent work, many were knocked up at the last minute so ideally were not as good as I would have liked if we had a bit more time to plan. (take heed) you will have to do some building yourself with these animals as most commercial vivariums will not house the majority of captive iguanas, this is one reason they hit rescues when people buy that cute little lizard and 3 years on have a total monster like my boy. 

Taking into consideration there survival strategies, I personally am more laid back with the subdominant and "fake female" specimens, but a big dominant male, he requires a little more thought.

The green iguana society, says that a 55 galleon tank (US terms) can comfortably house a baby iguana for us who measure in feet, that's roughly a typical commercial 3ft vivarium, give or take. (I can go with that) 

This enclosure origionally housed my baby iguanas but I did have young Smaug in it originally with a similar layout, so bear with, for those of you in the US, I expect your first enclosure will have a mesh screen top too? so for convinence, I am going to use this example with a mesh screen top.

I prefer naturalistic myself.
Decor it up, plant it up with climbing options, plants, branches, cork bark, logs, vines, what-ever, I would position the highest strongest branch underneath the basking spot, as they will go higher to warm up, and move further down to cool down, your plants will help him feel safe and acclimatize, this is important for there over-all mental health and well being, all too often they die because they are over fussed, stressed, and feel too open, plants can help mitigate that, naturally they would camouflage, at this age everything is trying to grab them for lunch, to your iguanas perceptions, this includes you! I give them some options to hide and retreat to feel a little safer. 

I would personally put it up high on something so that the improvised heigh) will help them feel a little safer either way, so that he doesn't feel too low, this gives him a higher vantage point when he does come out, to observe and study you, which is massively beneficial at a later time. (this one sits on top of a 4ft tall enclosure, so they reap all the benefits of being up high too)

Heating. 
I just use a standard dome, and sit it on top of the mesh, I work with the drop and raise methods, 12" away from that lamp, even with mesh being in the way with a standard 60w screw R80 bulb, you should be able to acheive a basking reading of 38c, (roughly 100f) if its too hot or too cold, play around with the branches elevation keeping it the highest point of the decor layout.

UV tube and reflector, personally I use either Arcadia 10% or T5 bulbs reflected. (the green iguana society advises only a 5% tube. 
As I understand it, these tubes have nothing what-so ever to do with percentages as such, but that they all emit the same at different distances, UV is easily blocked too, so this needs to be considerd when being mounted on top of enclosures, or on top of mesh, so technically both a 5% and a 10% tube emit the exact same at different distances, a UV meter will demonstrate this, that this mesh top type of enclosure will block out around 40% of the reading, opposed to unblocked so if your using a 5% tube, keep that in mind, I use 10% and reflect it in this video, but I quite like the idea of the Arcadia 12% d3+ reflected if affordable, buy the best you can afford, because by the time it goes through the mesh, your probably getting the equivilent of a 5% tube, at the same distances unblocked, I don't cut corners and use reflectors with all my UV tubes, animals still have ended up with MBD just because the tubes were not reflected. (had some myself) or positioned at incorrect distances. 

How-ever, this type of enclosure will not last very long at all in the majority of cases, maybe a year at a push if your purchasing a few month old, but after that your going to be looking at something like a 4x4x2, HXWXD with extra thought in (surface area, plants, (branches) shelves, same kind of principle on a larger scale) and then eventually, the permanent enclosure).

Thats how I lay out younger iguanas, of course you can use vivariums without mesh tops, you would just be wroking on the same principles, distancing and choosing the right tubes, reflectors, to meet the needs inside of the occupant. 

For Adults, ideally I want as big as I can offer, ideally I want a plot in the south american rainforests, but sometimes this is just not possible!

I improvise, and do my best with some of these animals, here we house indoors minimally in enclosure dimensions measuring 6x6x2's or within similar dimensions, (exceptions of stunted or emaciated iguanas) give or take a ft, for most subdominant males, and females, the trick isn't so much to do with the space of the dimensions, but how much useable surface area your creating, inside a dimensional space for the occupant (branches climbing options, fake rocks, trelice, shelves, ramps, logs, for the real big alpha dominant males, easily your looking into something the size of a small properly furnished room how-ever, these iguanas are rare but all owners should prepare themselves for the possibility. (Decor it up with branches)

Surface area. 
I have seen some absoloute amazing spacious enclosures for iguanas, with very very poor layout of surface space that the animal can use, and to tell the truth, they might as well have been housed in something smaller IMO. 

Iguanas I would argue are semi arboreal animals (not altogether arboreal), so we need to look at usable surface area they can utlise across the floor, and the top levels of the enclosure. (most owners are not making full use of there enclosure layout designs IMO, take into considerations walls, which could easily be used to provide more surface area with either fake rocks, trelice, or by another means. 

Providing climbing options at varying different heights, vertically, and horizontally, anterior, posterior, (front and back) is preferable.
In a 6x6x2, the total floor surface area will measure 8ft,if you include a 6ft branch or shelf horizontally across the top of the enclosure, you have created an ideal basking platform where the iguana can fully stretch out it's body, tail and all, by including this , you have created a further 6ft of usable surface area, making a total useable surface area of 12ft.

By including a further 6ft horizontal branch 2ft inferior to the origonal branch, you have further created another 6ft of useable surface area, allowing the iguana the option this has also served the purpose to escape heat and UV, thus, provided the option to rest, UV regulate, and thermoregulate efficently and safely, a total surface area now sits at 20ft, your iguana will use it.
Along the sides of the enclosure you could provide further climbing options, personally I use trelice and fake rock backgrounds.

In an enclosure measuring this size, by creating a fake rock background in my enclosures, this has provided the option for the animal to use and be able to climb it.

7ft in width, 6ft height, the total square feet of just this wall has provided 36ft of useable surface area totalling up the surface area to 56ft because the whole wall has became something the iguana can use, climb on, grip, and uses this wall to reach any other level inside the enclosure of choice.
You do not need to provide a fake rock background, you could use something as simple as trelice, (you can also interwine fake foilage for an aesthetically pleasing look too.) (clips for hanging leaves on can make fantastic exercise and enrichment)


At the sides of the enclosure, I provide trelice as further climbing options, one on either side. Hung with screws or stapled in place to secure them.
Both measuring. 4x3 creating a further 12ft of usable surface area totalling 68ft.

You can then place in branches diagonal, to provide leverage, 2 on either side, both measuring 6ft, this further has created 12ft more of usable surface area, making the total 80ft.

3 branches anterior and posterior, all measuring, the equal depth of the enclosure will create further useable surface area, the bigger the enclosure, the more usable surface area that can be utalised, you can screw them in directly from the back, and rest them on other horizontal branches for added security, though screwing these in place adds more security.

In my main enclosure, measuring 6x7x4 I have created a fully usable surface area measuring well over 100ft, with added shelves included at varying heights.

Decorating up the enclosure with fake foilage and plants adds to an aesthetically pleasing look, helps the animal feel more secure and more at home.
Providing heating and lighting, iguanas like to be able to fully stretch out there bodies, you should be able to work with distancing easily and effectively by providing a horizontal point at the highest part of the enclosure.
Leaving room for the animal to move to the lower levels to cool down, seek shade and thermoregulate.

Substrates in my enclosures are preferible, they do a fantastic job at assisting with humidity maintenance, evotranspirition, digging enrichment, stimuli, and adding to an aesthetically pleasing look. 

Substrate varieties are not written in stone, you can keep it as simple or as complicated as you like. (personally I like bark and soil mixes) for the many benefits they reap.
The idea that iguanas require x amount of space, opposed to x amount of space is a little misinformed, it all depends on how your able to to turn that space, into a useable and effective space for the animal your housing.


Ideally we want to go as big as we can go, ideally we want a plot in the south american rainforest, but sometimes it just isn't possible, improvising with what space we can offer, and incorporating usable space inside the enclosure is far more important than the actual dimensional space of the enclosure.
I have seen some fantastic spaces provided, and yet, poor layout in terms of surface area for the animal to use.
Same principle in outdoor enclosures. 

Heating and lighting, same principle but on a larger scale. 
I use mercury vapour bulbs at the basking site properly furnished, with a dome sat over a mesh screen (hole cut out of the wood) and distanced according to the manufactuers instructions. (Mega ray) (investigating new Arcadia brands and lucky reptile)

I combine this with flourecent tubes Arcadia Zoo bar, or 12% d3 + reflected working on the same principle of distancing to give them the options to UV regulate and decide where they want to be. (be able to get there whole bodies under UV) While being able to warm up, at the basking point while still getting some UV too.

I have used a variety of enclosure types over the years, designed to meet the individuals personality type, and needs, (rescue rehabilitation vivs) hospital vivariums, naturalistic indoors, ourdoor enclosures other photos may have been for rescues, temporary, permanent, for rehabilitation or otherwise.
Feel free to share.

This was one rehabilitation viv I bought, but later added some things into it for a female. It measured 7H 5D 2D.

Another rehabilitation viv, usually use this one after operations, spays, surgery, or for any situation a sterile enviroment or recover is needed. 

This one is what I call improvised vivariums. 
These are the vivariums we end up using when caught short, last resort, or for other reasons, they aren't really what we reccomend but I am throwing them in here forcompleteness for those rescuing to consider until more suitable housing arrangements can be found. 

There has of course, always been that odd time we have been caught short, sometimes it has really been a case of coming here or nothing, so really had to improvise with less than ideal, these photos aren't really what I would recommend for an iguana on a long term baisis, but for those of you rescuing you shouldn't really be feeling guilty either if it is all you can offer, the rules do change, but your working entirely on the exact same principle. 

This is what I call an improvisation. 

It has served a purpose for that, and also has served purposes for iguanas that struggled to climb for what-ever reason (whether they had there claws ripped out, muscle wastage to build them back up, or over-all just metabolic bone disease, kidney stones what-ever, the type of layout would be adapted to suit that individual how-ever, and it wasn't often it was used, but occasionally. (Had improvised a little with some monitor lizards here too until more sutable homes could be found) 

This vivarium is a 6x2x2, with added perspex glass onto the layer, a vivarium of this size is really too big to put up at a height when I have other enclosures here housing other animals, so the perspex helps with the fact of them not being able "to see" outside, feel too low or feel to stressed, this should help see by any iguana until something more suitable comes a long. 

A bulb gaurd did go around that bulb but you get the idea.  

This was under the stair conversion, for a young juvenile, it wasn't really as tall as I would have liked, but it done the job for a little while (giving them a little height, the backing also counts as surface area, and it also gave me a little chance to observe them too with ease, normally a substrate wouldn't be in this one how-ever, I think it went in to just ease with humidity after a period. 

Another improvised wardrobe. 

For the main basking shelves we used those rectangular shaped ones you can pick up in B@Q for a few quid, just it in from the side, and added a roll of bamboo to add for an aesthetically pleasing look, although personal experience, I am not convinced this is comfortable for them in the long run, but for smaller specimens it should be okay. 

This is a decent and spacious arboreal vivarium, personally I would have went more out on surface area if costs didn't get in the way, this one measured roughly a 5x5x2, it was placed up at a height on top of a 6x2x2 to give the occupant a little extra feeling of security, yes, this is Jaffa who recently found a home with Chris Challice.  
These photos are not mine, though just throwing it in again for completeness it was a pet shop (may have been a visit to manchester pets?) I honestly can not remember where I took them, but where-ever it was I asked if I could take a few photos to show a really poor shop near us at the time how baby iguanas should really be housed, they weren't doing it right, and was falling on deff ears, eventually they did make some adjustments though (think they got a bit sick of me moaning)  (at the time I had nothing baby wise to show) 

Just for good measure, this was setup for some young iguanas too, (vivarium sat on top of my Ax 48" unfortunately I used my chuckwalla (technically an iguana) for a portrayal in this photo. 

Quarantine enclosure layout for a baby (same equipment on first photo but wihtout the complexity of substrates etc. 

Just another enclosure build for an adult. 

An AX 24" on a stand can do the job for a young specimen temporarily too. 
(Sorry for the bodge job on this photo) it was a last minute pull out what-ever we have thing to give it something to sit on. 

As I have said, many of these enclosures should not really be thought of as a long term soloution how-ever, but definitely something that can be worked with until something better comes up. 

More to follow soon. (outdoor enclosures next)
I have 2 more enclosure builds in mind in the next few months too, so I will up-date once those are finished.