Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Can you use rabbit pellets in the bottom of a iguanas tank?

we heard that you can put rabbit pellets in the bottom of your iguana's tank for the bedding instead of newspaper ?Can you use rabbit pellets in the bottom of a iguanas tank?
If you've already got an iguana don't you think you should know this already?


Buy a copy of 'iguanas for dummies', it's a very good book.


I wouldn't use a hot rock as they can heat up too much and burn the lizard.Can you use rabbit pellets in the bottom of a iguanas tank?
Hot rocks are not recommended. Iguanas regulate their heat from above. They will basically sit on a hot rock until they have serious burns because they are waiting for their back to become warm.


You should be misting the enclosure to provide a more naturally humid environment for your iguana, this will cause the rabbit pellets to break down to dust and grow mould. Better to stick to newspaper or one of the reptile safe bark mulches like cypress.
I have used rabbit pellets with many reptiles including iguanas. It is composed mainly of alfalfa, which is not only safe if ingested but can be feed regularly to an iguana.


There are a verity of substrates you can use - coconut fiber/husk, potting soil ( without perlite), aspen and cypress shaving/mulch/bark, repta-bark products, outdoor/reptile carpeting.





Heat rocks can cause severe burns,so not recommended. You can provide heat throughlightss, under tank heaters and specialty reptile heating platforms, with a combination usually working best. Be sure to use a thermoregulator to allow for better control over the temperature. The heated area does need to be large enough for the entire reptile to bask.





This site has a lot of information on iguana care.


http://www.greenigsociety.org/careinfo.h鈥?/a>
Rabbit pellets aren't the greatest to use because when you spray your tank/enclosure they become very soiled, which then cleaning doesn't make fun.


The EASIEST floor covering to use is newspaper or paper towels, just change daily when you clean the tank. A lot of floor coverings can in time cause blockage for your iguana which will then mean surgery or death.


Floor covering:


BAD floor covering: bark, dirt, moss, sand, pellets, coconut fiber are all bad ... at some point your iguana will try and lick swallow and then possibly cause blockage which will then need to be surgically removed or possibly death ... SAFE floor covering: newspaper (unprinted), paper towels, towels, vinyl flooring, indoor/outdoor carpeting - if you have any lose fibers from the carpeting or the towels please remove and replace - unprinted newspaper if you possibly can use is safer just in case your ig likes to try and eat the newspaper some ink may contain soy


http://www.greenigsociety.org/accessorie鈥?/a>


Heating rocks are BAD they can cause major underbelly burns. Iguanas do not feel the heat from there bellys so they will sit there and not know that its burning. You can use the heat rock ONLY IF you remove the cord. Using a rock from outside (cleaned) and placed under heat (basking light) will warm up.


http://www.iguanaden.org/care/heatabove-鈥?/a>


http://www.iguanaden.org/care/hotrock.ht鈥?/a>





Sites for you to read:


http://www.greenigsociety.org/ - http://www.iguanaden.org/ - http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html


A great book to read and have on hand:


Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan


Yahoo has some great sites for Iguana owners... these groups helped me and still help w/ questions .. if you'd like to join:


http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/BabyI鈥?/a> - http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Iguan鈥?/a>
no they can eat the pellets and get sick. just use newspaper or go to the pet store.

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