Cage Size

The cage is going to be the iguana's home where it will be spending the majority of his/her lifespan. The cage must be roomy to allow the iguana to comfortably move around and even do some climbing. If the cage is too small, it will cause the iguana to beat itself against the walls trying to escape, or hurt itself--even possibly causing the iguana to die from the stress.

The main thing you need to start thinking about is the size. A cage needs to be as wide as the iguana is long and twice as long as the iguana is long. It needs to be as tall as possible because iguanas love to climb. If you have just purchased a young iguana, take into consideration the iguana will be fully grown in 3 - 4 years.

Building a cage is relativly easy and can be fairly cheap, as opposed to buying a custom one. You can use two-by-fours or two-by-threes for support, vinyl-coated hardware for the sides, and plywood for the solid sides on the bottom.

Before building the cage door, you must take in consideration that you have to move the cage furnishings through the door easily. Make sure that you can climb in or step into the cage for cleaning or to remove the iguana.

The design is totally up to you but must be safe, secure, and clean. Before the iguana goes into the cage, make sure that none of the finishes or paints are toxic, and let the fumes dissipate.

A baby iguana can be kept in a 35-45 gallon aquarium tank (larger is better, of course). As soon as the iguana starts scratching the walls and constantly rubs its nose, it is telling you that he/she needs more space. One problem with glass is that it causes reflections, thus stressing the iguana (they don't like to look at themselves); but on the positive side, the glass does trap in heat. If there is too much stress, then a plastic cage may be needed.

Wire cages should only be used for larger iguanas, but should at least have a back wall. Disadvantages with wire cages are iguana injury and failure to provide effective heat entrapment. The wire cages have better ventilation then solid tanks.

The top of the cage should be constructed with wire bars to allow heat in, but not heating sources. The bottom of the cage can be like that of a bird's cage, where there is a pull out tray to dipose of spoiled food and other waste. It is best to make one side of the cage a door.

There are several companies that make cages specifically for iguanas. Some designs are decked out with the bottom trays, wheels, and some are made from PVC pipes. Of course, these cages aren't going to be cheap.

Using a birdcage for housing a iguana is a big mistake. They are designed for birds and are not safe at all for iguanas. The iguana will fall and hurt itself, or possibly escape.