Iguana

The Essential Components of a Proper Iguana Cage by Mark Williams

Iguana Cages

When people think about the purchase of an iguana, a variety of questions spring to their minds. Usually one of their main questions they will ask themselves is Where do I keep it? People then try to find out the components of an iguana cage. If you are trying to find the best iguana cage for your pet, the following will act as a gude for you:

1) Size ï¿½ The first thing you need to know about is how big the iguana cage has to be. Some people quite wrongly believe that the cage will limit the size of the iguana. This is not true. An iguana under ideal conditions will grow up to 6 feet long. This means that you will need to have a huge iguana cage in order to accommodate your pet. In fact, some people provide a whole room instead of an iguana cage for their pets!

Naturally, you do not have this necessarily as a consideration straightaway as you could choose to delay implementiing this until your iguana grows to its full size. However, the iguana cage that you obtain does need to be large enough for the the iguana to indulge itself in it's normal daily activities. It should not cramp the animal in any way. If you choose to wait until your iguana has grown to full size, you should at least prepare and make plans for the time when you are going to need a bigger iguana cage.

2) Temperature ï¿½ an iguana is cold blooded. This means that they need to regulate their body temperatures by making use of the environment. What are the implications of this? This means that you need to provide a variety of temperatures in the iguana cage. This is so that the iguana can move from different spots to properly control its body temperature. You should also try to include a source of heat without light which will be used during the night time.

3) Humidity ï¿½ iguanas require high levels of humidity to live comfortably. They are easily dehydrated because of the fact that their lack of their daily intake of fluids is naturally low. This is because in their natural environment their is high humidity and this keeps them from being dehydrated. Dehydration can actually cause kidney failure. This means that not having enough humidity can shorten the life of your iguana. Another reason to keep your iguana cage humid is the fact that humidity helps loosen skin. This means that an iguana will have an easier time shedding skin if it is kept in a humid environment. If you want to keep your iguana healthy, you need to provide an iguana cage that has a humidity of 65 to 75 percent of the air.

4) Lighting ï¿½ iguanas need a source of UVA and UVB light. Naturally, the optimum source that you can make use of is the sun. This does not mean that you should place your iguana cage in a sunlit area. The glass or plastic of iguana cages filter out the UV light much needed by iguanas for production of vitamin D3. This vitamin aids in calcium consumption. This means that you need to let your iguana bask in direct sunlight as much as possible. This helps in developing strong bones and preventing Metabolic Bone disease which is a very common cause of death among iguanas in captivity.

Other than the sun, your iguana cage should also include an artificial source of UVA and UVB light. This is in order to make up for days when the sunlight is not enough for your iguana.

About the Author

The author is Mark Williams who is an Iguana enthusiast. For more information and facts about cages for Iguanas visit http://www.iguanacarebook.com

How To Create Your Own Bearded Dragon Habitats

By Sam Patrolio

Lizards, when taken care of well, make great pets. Bearded dragons are one of the most popular lizards available today. This article explains a little about bearded dragon life styles and provides the necessary information to set up your own bearded dragon habitat.

A medium sized lizard with ten year long lifespan, the bearded dragon is originally from Australia. Measured from snout to tail tip, these lizards can reach up to two feet in length. Omnivorous creatures, bearded dragons like to much on crickets, pinky mice, leafy greens, and earthworms. Also make sure to always have fresh water available and to mist your lizard. Social by nature, you can keep bearded lizards together, without too much trouble.

Found in central Australia, bearded dragons like woody, warm, arid climates. In nature, they can be located in shrubs and trees, as well as basking on hot stones. The health and happiness of your lizard is dependent on mimicking this environment as closely as possible.

The first step to setting up a new habitat for your lizard is to choose the appropriate tank. Hatchlings are small and can be kept in standard aquariums measuring 10-15 gallons, but adults need much more space, approximately 55 gallons, such make sure you plan ahead. Bearded dragons are renowned escape artists, so make sure your tank has a tight fitting lid.

Once you have chosen a tank, you should pick the kind of bedding or substrate you will use. This substrate needs to be absorbent, digestible, and easy to clean. Most major pet stores cell bedding specifically designed for bearded dragons, but you can something simple, like newspaper, as well. However, for the safety of your lizard, you should avoid gravel, cedar shavings, kitty litter, and crushed gravel.

Once your substrate is in place, you can decorate the tank. Be creative! The more hiding places and things to climb on your lizard has, the happier he will be. Oak sticks make good climbing posts, and flat rocks are perfect for basking. Live plants can also be added, as long as they are non toxic.

Last but not least, you need to choose and install light and heat fixtures. This part of tank design is vital because your lizards are cold blooded and depend on you for heat. 78-88 degrees F is an appropriate day time temperature and 70 degrees F works at night. The easiest way to provide this is to install incandescent light bulbs at the top of your tank. Special basking lights are also important to create a hot spot where your new pet can bask. - 32403

About the Author:

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Slaying Dragons

By Zeeman Haus

To slay a dragon you must understand two things: what a dragon is and that you are wasting your time. There are no such things as dragons! However, the dragon does come in many forms in gaming, books, history and media. We will explore the dragon in these mediums and look at how the myth of the creature has evolved and why. Or, we'll just crack some dragon jokes and keep on going.

The image of the evil dragon, burning villages and eating livestock was standard to European literature. Many of these tales involved damsels in distress and vast treasure troves collected by the monsters. One interesting point though was how the "beasts" managed to carry coin if they were so large. Myths don't always account for everything.

Eastern dragons were known to be kind, wise creatures that would help heroes on quests and often act as teachers to them. Asian dragons have been noted throughout Asian mythology as being able to take human form at will and possessing vast amounts of magic. This is quite a departure from the standard European take on the creature!

The story of St, George is one of the first dragon stories to be popularized in European literature. George was a strong and powerful Roman cavalry officer who became a Christian. To prove Christians were not weak, he sought out and killed a dragon that was causing a bit of trouble. Stories of knights slaying dragons became prolific in Europe and the term "slaying the dragon" is still used today to describe someone who has to overcome huge odds.

Dragons of myth come in many sizes, shapes and colors. European dragons of yore were large reptile-like creatures and generally considered green, though the friendly dragon of Wales was reported as being red. This was most likely because he was embarrassed at being a friendly dragon in Europe. Asian dragons were winged and un-winged serpents generally of all different colors and sizes. The five-toed flying serpent was even used as the crest for the Chinese Emperor. Indian dragons looked a lot like Shi-zu puppies but much bigger.

J.R.R. Tolkien's book the Hobbit helped re-popularized the concept of a flying reptile laying waste to the countryside and eating sheep and burning villages. This dragon could speak though and is considered the template for the modern concept of dragons.

The popular game Dungeons and Dragons revolutionized the way western culture thinks of dragons. The concept of "good" dragons was introduced into the culture to help balance out the power of the "evil" dragons. Most dragons possess speech and a high level of intelligence as well as magical abilities not always ascribed to the original dragons of western lore.

The mystical power of the dragon most likely lies in the longevity of the myth. For centuries man has fought with and against these creatures in stories and mythology in hopes of accomplishing some great task. Even though technology has moved beyond the mythos dragons represent, on some level man needs beasts such as these to slay and conquer. - 32403