Iguana's home - Heating

Now, its time to think about the heating within your iguana's habitat. Even if you purchase a pre made habitat, youíll still need to find ways to keep him warm enough and to keep him getting the necessary light he needs.

Heating

The heating in your iguana's habitat is quite important to the well being of your iguana. There are many considerations to think about here, though. The good news is that this chapter will tell you all you need to know about the heat sources and needs of your iguana.

Why They Need Heat

The first consideration that you have is just why the iguana needs heat and what that level is. We've already mentioned that providing heat to your iguana is required to maintain its health.

Within your habitat, youíll need to provide a location that can provide basking heat to your iguana. Generally, this area should be able to get to the middle 90's in temperature. (All temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit.) The rest of the air within the habitat should be maintained no less than 75 degrees, but better if it is closer to 80. The final need is to offer a range of temperatures within the habitat to allow him to move around as he feels comfortable.

Now, to accomplish this, there are several things you should and shouldnít do. First, purchase several attachment thermometers. Place these in various area of the habitat so that they can be easily read by you from outside the enclosure.

Temperature

Another very important element to your iguana care is his temperature. Actual, the habitat’s temperature is important to monitor. Again, in later chapters we’ll provide you with some additional resources to help you to get the temperature right, but there are some things that must be mentioned early on.

First off, realize just what your iguana is. He is cold blooded. That means

that his body does not produce heat like yours does and that means you

have to provide it for him through his enclosure. One spot within your iguana’s habitat should be maintained at 90 degrees or higher F. This will be called his basking spot, where he can go to really soak up the heat. The surrounding air within the habitat can not drop below 80 degrees F.

Why does the temperature of the habitat matter so much? What if it falls off by a few degrees? So what? The problem with this is that the iguana depends on the right temperature to do much of its life functions. For example, without the right level of heat, the iguana can’t digest his food the right way and absorb the nutrients from it. Without the right light, your pet will not be able to grow correctly. He or she will likely be suffering from malnutrition. He is likely not to move around much and will remain inactive. That’s because he is uncomfortable and unhappy. He’s suffering.

But, you don’t want the habitat to maintain the same amount of heat all of the time. Providing areas that fluctuate to some level within the habitat is necessary as it will allow him to decide how to regulate his temperature. Finally, before we move on, you also should realize that the heat that you give your iguana must not be attached to the light source. Just like you need a day and night; so does he. Heat and light are two different things that your iguana must have.