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Native
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domingo jul 20, 2008 4:31 pm
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Multiple Iguanas
If you are planning to have more than one iguana, there are some important factors to keep in mind. Iguanas are very territorial. They do NOT like to share their turf with other iguanas. Iguanas neither need nor want 'friends', and housing two iguanas in the same cage is a recipe for disaster.
In the wild, iguanas can and do congregate together in the prime basking and eating spots. However, in the wild, if an iguana gets upset with sharing its turf with another and becomes aggressive, the subordinate iguana has literally acres and acres to escape into. In captivity, most cages are too small for even one iguana, and they are trapped in a small setting with the territorial iguana.
Another problem is that reptile dominance can be very subtle. Changes in posture and even certain looks can be used to assert dominance. These subtle signs can be enough to keep the subordinate iguana from the best basking areas and from food. Even if they are still eating and basking, the stress of living with another iguana can be very harsh. Reptiles can and do die from stress!
While reptile dominance can start out subtle, it can also quickly escalate to violence. Sadly, many iguanas housed with others end up at the vet's office being stiched up after an attack by the dominant iguana. Often the dominant ig also requires medical care. This is only if you are lucky enough to have both survive. Iguana teeth are a dangerous weapon and can do a lot of damage.
Even if iguanas have coexisted peaceably for a while, there is no guarantee it will continue that way forever. People have had iguanas live together for years, and then suddenly turn on each other with no reason. During breeding season, especially, it is very dangerous to have iguanas near each other. Sometimes even being within sight of each other is enough to drive some igs berserk. Gender is usually not a factor in this - it doesn't matter if you are thinking of housing 2 females, or a female and a male together - they do not like to share!
If you do decide to have more than one iguana, you will need to set up two appropriately sized cages for them, with heat and UVB lights in each cage. Also be prepared for double the expense in food bills, supply bills, and vet bills.
If you are willing and able to provide for more than one ig, with proper housing and care for each one, go for it! Each iguana has their own individual personality and it can be very rewarding caring for them. Just be sure you are prepared for the needs of each one.
Multiple Igs
Written by Veronica & used with permission
There's been a lot of questions about multiple igs. Some have purchased two thinking they need another ig's company. This is far from the truth. Breeding season seems to be the only time they seek each other out as they mature...and even then some igs come out hurt...or dead.
Some igs can live together...these are very few. To gaurantee two ig's health and well being, two cages are required...one for each one. Each needs lights (UVB and heat), twice the food, twice the medical costs, etc. Igs are not cheap. Start up costs are the biggest part...unless something happens and you need an emergency vet run for a sick ig...or two...then it's more.
There is the occassional ig setup where multiples can be housed...BUT....every attempt at a seperate cage should be found. If housing together they would need plenty of room. This is how exhibits get by with multiples housed together. They make sure there is adequate room for each one...each one having it's own "space" (i.e. uvb, heat, watering and feeding stations). The ideal size for one ig is actually 9'W x 6'T x 3'D...for multiples you need to add 25% for the overall size.
More often then not...one ig does become the "alpha" ig. This creates incredible stress for the "beta" ig. With nowhere to get away, and not being able to reap the benefits the other ig dominates, the beta ig will get stressed, sick and may eventually die from their illnesses. This is not including the physical damage the alpha can inflict.
Babies are put into overcrowded tanks. Many of the igs sold are often very sick as a partial result from these conditions...sometimes as a direct result. Igs often do well as small babies together as there is safety in numbers from wild instincts and the predator/prey game...they being the prey and many eyes make safer groups, but it doesn't take long for them to start playing the survival game...only the strong survive.
I hope this clears things up a bit for those that are wondering "Why do I need two cages if my igs came from the same cage to begin with?" Igs don't care about family ties, siblings, parents...they care about what will keep them alive...and if it means keeping the good stuff for itself...so be it...the other will die and it wins the "game". That's life with wild animals. That's what igs are first and foremost.
Multiple Igs Per Cage
Written by Jim Goodrich of WIGY & used with permission
I’ve been an iguana-care educator for over 4 years. Most of the mistakes I advise people to avoid or fix, I’ve made in the past. Among those mistake is housing two iguanas together.
For two years I housed my beloved Loiosh (R.I.P.) and Rocza (probably my favorite all-time iguana, just don’t tell the others) together. They were together from August 1997 to November 1999. They seemed to get along fine. They each had their own basking areas and food dishes. I never noticed any signs of aggression. In fact they would sometimes eat side by side.
Then, in October of 1999 Loiosh began having problems. It is still unclear what exactly was happening to her, but I believe (based observations, blood tests, necropsy results, and after-the-fact research) several things were going on. Loiosh, in her younger years was fed, in addition to her vegetables (and even that was not a proper diet) store-bought dry iguana food that was very high in protein. So it was at this point, when she was around 5 years old, that her kidneys began failing.
Loiosh had, by my estimation, developed and reabsorbed eggs in the past. For the two years she had lived with Rocza she didn’t appear to cycle at all. But this year she did. I will add that Rocza is, again in my estimation (based on observation and the reading of some field studies of iguanas in the wild), a beta-male (or a omega-male). That is to say, he is a rather submissive male, that isn’t too inclined to breed or (in the wild) hold territory. But once Loiosh cycled Rocza apparently responded to the pheromones and tried or succeeded in breeding her; she had the typical bite marks on her shoulders, which were almost identical to those pictured in the book I looked in for said pictures.
As soon as I realized what was happening (the breeding; the kidney failure was not apparent until too late) I separated them. A very good friend on mine bailed me out and took Rocza for me temporarily. Loiosh died, apparently from kidney failure, on December 24th, 1999. Neither my vet nor myself realized she was that ill (we were discussing figure out how to treat her). Had she just had the one problem we would have had a better chance of understanding the problem. There was just too much going on.
Housing more than one iguana per cage is dangerous and trouble just waiting to happen. It is hard or impossible to monitor normal behavior and food consumption in those circumstances. And I’ve since read about situations where they don’t try to breed, but simply fight and gravely injure or kill each other. We owe it to our iguanas to give them the best life possible and that means one iguana per cage.
http://www.greenigsociety.org/multipleigs.htm
Multiple Iguanas
Keeping iguanas together presents a whole new set of issues. Whether or not this is a good choice depends upon many factors, including the sex, size and personalities of the iguanas in question, and the size of the habitat provided. One thing that can be said with no hesitation is that male iguanas cannot be kept together! In fact, male iguanas should not even be allowed to see one another. Adult males can get extremely aggressive and territorial toward one another, and will fight to the death if allowed access to each other. Males that can see each other but cannot have physical contact often suffer from a great deal of stress. They may devote so much of their time displaying to each other that they forget to eat and bask and participate in normal iguana activity, and as a consequence, their health suffers.
What about female-female or male-female pairs? There is no clear-cut answer to this question. Some people have been able to keep pairs or small groups of females or females and one male together successfully. Others have not been able to do so. In the wild, iguanas are solitary animals. They get together only during the breeding season, and then only for short amounts of time. Iguanas do not get lonely for other iguanas, nor do they need an iguana friend. Iguanas do just fine when kept individually. But what about those who wish to keep more than one? As with many aspects of iguana care, the Green Iguana Society encourages owners to learn what they can prior to attempting to keep more than one iguana together. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we are presenting you with two different experiences - one positive, and one negative....
Jake & Donnie - My own experience keeping Jake and Donnie together has been a successful one. Jake and Donnie are adult iguanas. Jake is male and Donnie is female. They are similar in size, although Jake is heavier-bodied and slightly longer. When I adopted Jake and Donnie, they were four years old and had been kept together since they were very small. They got along fine together, but not without some negative side effects. They had worked out a hierarchy whereby Jake got priority access to the best basking spots and the food. Since their cage was fairly small and was set up in a way that there was only one spot that was warm enough and that had access to the UV, Donnie developed MBD while Jake didn't. When I adopted them I built them a bigger cage that has several good basking spots that are plenty warm and that are under UV lights. I also feed them in separate dishes so Donnie doesn't get pushed away from the food. I also have two litterboxes in their enclosure. There is plenty of room for them to spread out from one another, and both have access to all the things they need to be healthy - heat, UV, space and good food. I keep an eye out for signs of stress in either of them - a lack of appetite, lethargy, nervous behavior or a dull gray or dark coloration. I also keep a close watch for signs of fighting between them. If I ever see any signs of stress or conflict, I will separate them with no hesitation. Not all people have such luck trying to keep iguanas together. Derek's experience with Mojo and Psycho, described below, is a good example of why keeping iguanas together may not work.
Mojo & Psycho - "Mojo was a male iguana and Psycho was female. Mojo was approximately two years older than Psycho. When Mojo turned three years old, he began to show serious signs of aggression. Some of the books I read at the time recommended that having a few females with an aggressive male would lessen the effects of his breeding season aggression. At the time, I knew someone who was desperately trying to get rid of her female iguana, and I believed that I could provide better care for her, so I decided to give it a try. I knew that I could provide a good home and care for her better than she probably would have been elsewhere, but the problems she would then have, would be because of being housed with another iguana. I knew at the time that having only one female, especially a smaller one, would be a problem, but I was also to the point where I had tried nearly everything else to cure the aggressive behavior. At first, I had the two separated between a wall I made out of plexiglass in hopes that I could phase out the plexiglass and provide a smooth transition into the two of them being together. This worked like I had hoped it would and the two got along great, but not without incident. First of all, Mojo always made sure he was the first to get at the food I provided. I tried to provide two separate bowls of food, but Mojo was determined to get any food that Psycho was interested in eating. Secondly, there were several horrible incidents where Psycho was severely bitten by Mojo. I really don't know if the incidents were intentional, but they were severe none-the-less. One incident in particular was so severe that I think Psycho would have bled to death if I had not been there when it happened. Thirdly, Psycho's personality was definitely affected by the dominant behavior by Mojo. She became very leary of not only Mojo, but she became scared of almost any contact with anyone else, including myself. This behavior was how she got her name, and looking back, I blame myself for not knowing any better. With as much as I provided better care for her, I probably created more problems in her life by forcing her to live with another iguana. At the time, I was at a point where I was utterly confused about a lot of contradicting information about iguana care and I was attempting to make the best of what I knew and what I was experiencing. Looking back, I made a terrible mistake by putting the two of them together and the lack of knowledge I had at the time about proper iguana care made Psycho's life very stressful. With what I experienced with my trial and error method of housing two iguanas together, I always recommend to anyone even thinking about it to learn from my mistakes and find a better and safer way to own more than one iguana. I was lucky the incidents were not too severe. Many people who are against keeping multiple iguanas together usually have a story or two about why they don't recommend it, so please remember that if an accident can happen, it probably will." - Derek Baze
As you can see, housing multiple iguanas together presents a whole new set of challenges. It is very difficult to say whether or not it is the right thing for any one iguana owner to do. If you are thinking about keeping more than one iguana, the important thing for you to do is to be aware of potential problems that may occur, and be ready to deal appropriately with those problems should they occur. Having a back-up housing plan ready in case keeping your iguanas together does not work out is very important. As always, use your best judgement and common sense. Be prepared for all possible outcomes. Keeping more than one iguana can be a great experience - but only if it is done responsibly.
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/multipleigs.html
Melissa Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated April 19, 2007
Introducing and Housing Multiple Green Iguanas
Many of the issues and signs of problems addressed in this article are applicable to other iguanid and agamid species with similar social structures, including anoles, water dragons, bearded dragons, even in leopard geckos.
©1996 Melissa Kaplan
Many iguana keepers, by intent or by chance, find themselves considering taking in a second iguana - or suddenly find themselves with another iguana. The most common question, then, is "can I house them together?" The answer is, "It depends..."
It depends on the individual iguanas and their temperament, stage of development, and/or time of year. It also depends on the housing situation. Given that most iguanas are kept in enclosures that are too small for them, introducing a second iguana into the enclosure is certain to create major problems for one or both of them. Size and sex doesn't necessarily matter, as females can be territorial and small iguanas can be incredibly nasty to more docile larger ones.
Herewith are some questions I've been asked and my responses to them, as well as recommendations for introduction, housing, and additional reading.
Housing Multiple Iguanas
"I hear you can't keep more than one ig together. Is that true?"
"I saw a video that said igs can smell each other and one will stop growing if another ig is brought in. Is that right?"
"I've heard that you can't keep two males together because they'll kill each other."
Well, yes and no.
If you have an iguana and are thinking about getting another iguana, you can, just so long as you are prepared to set up separate housing if need be. Big igs often get along just great with little ones, and females can be just as territorial as can males. In other words, there are no hard and fast rules other than for you to be prepared to create separate environments for them, permanently or seasonally (during breeding season) if need be.
In the wild, iguanas have a very dynamic social hierarchy. Males stake out territories and there is always a dominant male in any group. In a large population there may be several dominant males but they may keep some distance between themselves. Subordinate males will challenge dominant males, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, retreating to the outskirts of the colony group to try again another day, another year.
One of the biggest problems with getting a second iguana is that most people have enclosures that are too small for one iguana let alone more than one. The smaller the space you try to keep them in, the greater the risk of agonistic behavior and of one or both getting injured or sick.
Agonistic behavior are those behaviors associated with dominance. They may be overtly aggressive, including such behaviors as chasing, attacking, butting, posturing, etc. Agonistic behaviors can be quite subtle; if you've ever been on the receiving end of one of your iguana's "looks," that out-of-the-back-of-their-eye glare, or sniff of disdain, then you have some idea of just how effective it can be! By mere posture, a subtle or minor shift in position, one iguana can keep another away from food, water and basking areas. This will result not only in a malnourished iguana, it also results in a great deal of stress. Prolonged stress affects the functioning of the immune system, suppressing it, resulting in greater susceptibility to infection, increase in colonies of otherwise commensal worms and protozoans, ultimately leading to failure to thrive, even death.
Igs don't even have to be housed together for this to happen - just being able to see another iguana who demonstrates agonistic behavior may be enough to affect a subordinate ig.
The size of the iguana alone does not determine who will be dominate and who subordinate. I've big igs who are wimps and small tough guys. I've had males come in and immediately signal submission who later got healthy enough and well-balanced enough to start challenging the alpha and beta males. I've had females come in and displace the alpha female and even challenge the alpha male. I've had igs who were too chicken to challenge any of the other igs but who will, at the drop of a hat, challenge humans, the tortoises, the geckos, or their mirrored reflections. Some just carefully look around to make sure they are alone...then bob and posture to their heart's content, seemingly encouraged by the fact that no one's around to challenge back.
Introducing Iguanas
When keeping more than one iguana together, introduce the new iguana to the established one in a neutral territory. Do not put the new iguana directly into the established iguana's enclosure. This is construed as a direct threat to the established iguana's territory and that iguana, especially if both are males, will go on the attack.
Have both iguanas out into a neutral area. Hold, pet, and talk to both of them. After a half hour or so, put the new iguana into the enclosure and give it an hour or so to familiarize itself with the new environment. If there are different levels within the enclosure, physically put the iguana on the different shelves and show it the way to get up and down. Show it the food and water bowls.
Once the new iguana has been settled in for awhile, then reintroduce the established iguana into the tank. Watch them closely for the next several hours.
Keep a close watch on them for the next several weeks. You need to make sure that both of the iguanas are feeding and have free access to the basking and hiding areas. There is the possibility that one of two iguanas will prevent, through intimidation if not through active physical force, the other from getting enough heat, food, water or physical space.
Clues that this is happening include one iguana visibly losing weight (watch the hips and base of tail), turning dark (sign of stress), and acting lethargic. If any swellings or bumps occur, they may be signs of infection or abscesses from bites or scratches that may have gone unnoticed by you, or which are caused by bacteria which has proliferated unchecked by the stressed iguana's depressed immune system - another symptom of stress.
Be prepared to set up a second or third feeding station and alternative basking areas in your ig enclosure or room...or house. If your enclosure isn't big enough to do that, then that tells you that you need to get a bigger one (which is great because then you move them both into neutral ground), or set up a second enclosure/basking area. Set up basking and sleeping areas at different heights. Provide some visual screening so that igs may get out of line-of-sight from other igs if it so wants.
Spend a lot of quality time with the original ig - if you've ever introduced a human baby into a house with a long-term cat or dog resident, or a new sibling to an older child, feelings of displacement can affect overall behavior...and it is no different with igs. Try not to always flaunt the time you spend with the new one in the face of the original one for the same reasons.
Stressed iguanas, both the aggressor and victim, may also suffer from an upsurge in parasitic infestations, including endoparasites such as worms and protozoans, and ectoparasites, such as mites, especially if the new iguana came from a stressed (and less than clean) environment. All new iguanas should routinely have fecal exams done; all iguanas who show signs of stress for any length of time in excess of a couple of weeks or so should also be tested.
Important Note
Do not introduce a new male iguana into the household during breeding season. Even if they cannot see each other, chances are great that the established iguana will know that the new one is there. Remember that their sense of smell is more acute than ours, and they pick up cues to which we are blind or otherwise senseless.
Interspecies Conflicts
The types of problems discussed above can also happen between lizards of different species, or in one lizard and some other species, including other types of lizards, dogs, cats, birds, even humans. This may occur even when the target species has done nothing to invite such a response.
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saravasco
- Membro Veterano
- Mensagens: 366
- Registado: sexta out 19, 2007 10:51 pm
domingo jul 20, 2008 4:34 pm
Native será que vale a pena colocar nos inamovíveis? muitos não sabem ler português quanto mais inglês
Contudo vale a pena o esforço!
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tugaAC
- Membro Veterano
- Mensagens: 459
- Registado: segunda fev 04, 2008 2:28 pm
- Localização: 4 gerbos , 3 hamsters, 1 gato, 1 betta (peixe), uma caturra e um caracol marinho
domingo jul 20, 2008 4:37 pm
se quiserem eu posso ajudar a traduzir
boa native, tenho a certeza que isto vai ajudar a quem quer tratar bem da sua iguana
