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THEREFORE, AN ENCLOSURE MUST BE DESIGNED WITH THE AGE OF THE IGUANA
taken into consideration. A large enclosure can be built with the adult
iguana in mind and a smaller area can be screened off for a younger iguana.
As the iguana grows, the size of the living area can be increased. A hatchling
will reach adult size in two and a half to three years. This is also a solution
for one enclosure built to house two pets as iguanas are not social animals
and can be very aggressive toward more passive cage mates.
THE ENCLOSURE SIDES SHOWN HERE ARE BUILT WITH COMMON MATERIALS, READILY AVAILABLE.
FOR A 4 FT. BY 7 FT. BY 8 FT. ENCLOSURE, YOU WILL NEED:
SIX (6) 4 FT. BY 7 FT. WIRE-MESH COVERED PANELS FOR THE SIDES
TWO (2) 4 FT. BY 4 FT. PANELS FOR THE TOP (and/or a 4 x 8 foot redwood
lattice panel)
Each panel is made up of 2" x 2" sides with a 2"x2"
center support, screwed together with drywall screws. The size of the enclosure
is up to the builder and can be adjusted to any size. The wire covering
is 48" (4 ft.) wide galvanized hardware mesh (1/2" mesh). In California,
a 50 ft. roll of hardware cloth or mesh is approx. $35.00 - $50.00.
Build a 2x2 rectangle 4 ft. by 7 ft. with a center support and staple
the wire mesh to the frame, to the edge. (Two by two inch material comes
in 8 ft. length but an eight foot high enclosure may be too high to easily
catch your iguana so I have cut the material down to 7 ft. and used the
small one foot pieces as additional corner brace supports.)
The INSIDE of the frame is the side with the wood, the OUTSIDE will
have the mesh covering so that you can use the wood frame to support your
shelves and ladders. This style cage can be reconfigured to any size.
When panels are bolted or screwed together, the material becomes the
thickness of a two by four and is very strong. Top panels are screwed on
last and then the cage is trued (squared) andcenter and corner brace supports
are added.
The door panel is the same configuration (see diagram) but a quarter
of the panel is framed for a door. The door can be half the panel width
if a taller door is desired. Small brass hinges are added and a very secure
double set of hooks, top and bottom, insure that the iguana won't push out
the bottom or top of the door to escape.
Always add lattice panels or other shading material and fill your outdoor
enclosure with tree branches and plants. If you live in an area of extreeme
heat, add a mister or two (attach to the hose) for cooling tropical moisture.
NEVER leave an iguana outdoors in extreme heat without providing plenty
of shade and water.
For an indoor enclosure, three or more sides can be plexiglass. To protect
from rostrum (nose) rubbling, plexi panels several inches high can be attached
onto the lower section of the wire panels . Drill and screw the plexi-panels
to the inside of the frame holding the wire. For total plexi sides, take
the 2"x2" to a carpentry shop and have 1/4" channels cut
with a router to accept the plexi sheets.
Back to Iguana Iguana Home Page
Previous Articles in IGUANA IGUANA
Go to Tips and Tricks
Go to Questions and Answers
Go to Make Your Iguana A Rainforest
Go to Games and Puzzles
Best and Worst
Iguana Hall of Fame
Favorite Ig Names
Iguana Nutrition
A Day in the Life of an Iguana
The latest printed issues ofIGUANA IGUANA 
Newsletter
contain the following articles:June - From Monster to Mouse and Back Again, Living with a (part-time) Mini-Monster, From the Mail BAg - What I Go Through Living with a Crazed Male Iguana (with photo essay), Nails are for Clipping, Spotlight on Vegetables - The Rutabaga, Ask Dr. Spike - When is it too hot for my iguana to be outside?, Keep Cool!
July - Taking a Bite Out of Summer, Reviewing Your Iguana's Health, A Pool for Your Outdoor Enclosure, Adding Humidity to the Outdoor Enclosure - A Mist System on a Times, An Iguana Picnic, Ask Dr. Spike - Why does my iguana eat dirt?, Happy Summer!
August - Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?, Breeding Season, Castration - Surgery and Chemical, The Presto Salad Shooter for easy meals, Ask Dr. Spike - My male iguana turns orange. What does that mean?
September - Dehydration - Dying of Thirst, Organ Damage Caused By Dehydration, Dehydration - Observable and Clinical Signs, Signs of Viseral Gout, Summer Fruit, Conversion Chart, End of Summer Iguana Salad, Lizards Living Large in Florida, Humidity in the Enclosure, Ask Dr. Spike - My iguana eats his feces - Ugh!, Happy End of Summer!
October - Skeletons in the Closet - Building a Closet Enclosure, Electrical Work in the Clsoet, The Third Eye, FallBack - Change your timers, Ask Dr. Spike - there are strange things in my iguana's poop!, Lots of Halloween Iguana Hats, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! and Happy Iguana Halloween!
November - Many Reasons for Giving Thanks, The Proper Way to Hand-Feed An Iguana that isn't Eating, Preparing the Blended Food, From the Mailbox - I Lost My Iguana in the House!, Autumn Torte Recipe and Fig Dessert for You and Your Iguana's Thanksgiving Dinner, Happy Thanksgiving!
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