Spikesstory

Iguana Answers

Spike's Story

Spike came to us from a boy who had decided that he didn't want him any more or couldn't cope with him any more, and so, as my son already had a gecko and knew a little about lizards we decided to take him in, learn as much as we could about these magnificent creatures and try our best.

First it was obvious that his fish tank style vivarium was nowhere near large enough for him, if his tail was at one end then his head would touch the other, so after getting our first book and reading up on Iguanas, off to the shops we went with a list of necessities.

We replaced his Grolux plant type tube with a reptile 5% UVB tube and bought a quantity of green plastic garden mesh and set about building his habitat in the corner of a loft room.

We built his habitat 6' x 4' x 3' with climbing branches, shelves, trellis work and in the middle we put his old vivarium type home on a table on its side ( so the top is now the front ) and put trellis and a branch leading up to it. Inside we put a heater pad and made a basking spot with a lamp and also fixed his UVB tube in there.

When introduced into it, Spike took to his new home right away, He mainly likes to go into what was his old home, which he now uses for basking and warming up, but he is free to go anywhere in it at all, and not only that his door is always open, so he is free to exit or enter his habitat for a wider roam around as and when he wishes.

Spike chooses to stay in his habitat most of the time, this is built into the top bedroom of a 3 storey house and every day I pick him up, walk downstairs and place him on the floor, he then heads for a favourite corner, which I have already prepared with newspaper, and here he deposits the previous days dinner, regular as clockwork every day. He has never gone in his habitat thankfully, this helps tremendously with keeping it clean.

Then he sets out across the floor, up a flight of stairs, across a landing, sometimes stopping to look inquisitively at the other Iguana passing in a bedroom mirror, then up another flight of stairs and across a bedroom to the far corner, and up into his habitat, so ensuring he gets quite a lot of beneficial exercise every day.

By the way, if on the odd occasion I forget to get him out or if I am late in getting him out, then he comes out of his habitat to the opposite corner of the bedroom and leaves a deposit there for us to clean up, as if punishment for forgetting!....that corner also now gets the newspaper preparation!

In summer we often let Spike out on to the back yard or on the lawn, where he basks and soaks up the sun until he is ready to go back in, at which time he will jump down, walk up the yard and through the kitchen, to make his trek upstairs again, unless the back door is closed, if it is he will scratch on it like a dog until he is let in. Amazing to watch! He enjoys his time outside but also seems to like his habitat as well.

2002 Update....Someone offered us a new habitat that was too much of a bargain to miss! so during the summer of 2002 the habitat as described above was dismantled and replaced with a purpose built one, but this still has the sliding front glass doors left partly open to enable exit and entry at will.

2003 update....His habitat is now moved to a lower floor bedroom (he can now exit that room and go up or downstairs! he also now has the habitat in a position to allow a window view, with facilities to climb up onto the windowsill and have a nosey out at passers by.

2004 Update....During 2004 we have moved house and Spike has settled in well and accepted his new room with no problems, the back yard has plenty of room for him to wander around safely, also Spike has successfully recovered from a nasty bout of Stomatitis that needed 2 separate antibiotics and treatment to the mouth.

2006 update....Spike seems to be slowing down a little as he ages and doesn't get so aggressive during breeding season, but is otherwise still as healthy.

2006 Footnote: Spike died of old age in the late spring of this year.

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