Iguana
I just bought 2 iguana's for my kids and I have heard conflicting story's on what to use at the bottom of the tank I have reptile bark in there now but I read somewhere that it's not good for them in case they ingest it what's the best thing to use for substrate. Also what size tank should I use for them till I make them one?
Answers:How old are your kids? Iguanas need alot of attention and are a big responsiblity. I for one believe no child should have or care for an iguana until they are atleast 16 years of age. Repti-bark is bad for any reptile for the fact it can carry mites. Mite are tiny red dots crawling on their skin. Do you have a reptile vet? If, not find one immediately! They need regular check ups like a cat or a dog. When you go to the vet bring a fecal sample. This will help the vetanarian determine if your iguanas have internal parasites like pinworms, hookworms and so on. Iguanas should never be keep together do to their size, temperment, and sex. Males reach sexually maturaty at 2 years of age. Females can have up to 60 eggs and can also become egg bound. Both of these are expensive. I learned these the hard way. For your cage issue: You need to start out with a 90 gallon tank for one iguana. They get huge fast! Iguanas can reach up to 6 to 7 feet in well kept conditions. So within a year you need to have a room size cage built for one iguana or buy a custom made cage for about $2,400 per iguana. Its cheaper to build! For your substrate issue: Just use newspaper its cheap and easy to clean the cage. What are you feeding them? Iguanas will pretty much eat anything they can get thier teeth on (yes they have teeth, 152 sharp to be exact). Here is a short list for now on what they can and should eat.