About Larry
My iguana's name is Laz, but I'm thinking about changing it to Larry. That's what my father called him when he first saw him. I bought Laz on June 15 th, 1998 from a local pet store. I had done some internet research months before that, in addition to subscribing to the Iguanas Mailing List. So, unlike many other ig owners, I knew what I was getting into(sorta). When I first bought Laz, he was about 12" from Snout To Tail(STL), which seems really tiny compared to now. I first housed him in a 20 gallon aquarium with an Ultra Violet light, heat light, and an undertank heater. I used astro-terf for the bedding in the aquarium. Then, a few months after that, I enclosed a 32" long by 18" wide by 34" tall shelf area with some plastic coated wire mesh. This setup had the addition of a 100 watt ceramic bulb heat fixture to account for the added space. This was in addition to the new 3 ' long UV light, sticks, and new 100 watt regular bulb for the other heat fixture. Then on about December 30 th, 1998, I used a modified PVC cage design, and constructed Laz a 4 ' long by 2 ' wide by 5 ' tall "Lizard Condo" also wrapped in wire mesh. I transferred all of the fixtures from the previous cage to this one. After getting some new sticks and a bigger water/poop dish, it was ready to go. So, now Laz is comfortably set for at least a few more months until I get my own place after I graduate college. Laz is currently 27" from STL and 7.5" from Snout To Vent(SVL), which is why I had to expand his cages. He has been fed a diet of about 50% to 60% collard or mustard greens, 20% to 30% green beans, and 10% to 20% acorn or butternut squash. He has grown a little more than 2" a month since I have had him. He recently stated to head-bob and leave seminal plugs, which, along with the bulge at the base of his tail, points him toward the male side. This seems kinda mature for only being 7 or so months old, but who knows. Anyway, this updates you on Laz into January of 1999, so stay tuned for further updates.May 1999 - Well, Larry has now grown to 31" STL and 8" SVL. I will be moving to Fort Worth, in the middle of the month, so Larry and I will both have a new home. Once I get enough time and money, I will build a new home for Larry that willbe large enough to house him for the rest of his life.
June 2000 - After moving to a new apartment, I have
built a new environment for my iguanas in
my closet. I put down a tarp over the original carpet
to prevent stains, and I then put a
section of
indoor/outdoor carpeting over the tarp. This section is to provide additional
protection,
and it prevents
loud noises from the lizards walking on the tarp. I then sectioned of the
clothes area
of my closet
with PVC and wire-coated mesh. I left an access door so that I could get into
this area
if needed. I
also put shelf paper on the closet shelves to prevent stains and to make for
easy cleanup.
I then removed
the closet door and replaced it with a PVC/wire-coated mesh one. This allows
air
circulation and
a view of the iguanas. Next, I hung two fluorescent light fixtures above the
long shelf
to create the
basking area for the iguanas. After
hooking up the timer through the closet light fixture,
it was all set
to go.