Setting up iguana’s enclosure is one of the main things that you need to do before you bring your iguana home. As your iguana grows and matures, you will need to change the cage to meet its needs. And as your beloved iguana will be spending most of its time in a cage, you need to make sure it is set up properly. This will keep your iguana happy and healthy. This post will share advice on setting up the cage for your baby and adult iguana. We will also answer common questions about iguana caging.
Can I have more than one iguana in one cage?
While baby iguanas are often fine being kept together, you should keep adult iguanas separately. At around 2-2.5 years of age, or when iguana reaches 2.5 feet in length, start separating them into different terrariums.
You should never keep male iguanas together. If you decide to keep two iguanas together, separate them when they turn 6 months old. If you want to breed them, you can introduce a female or male iguana to each other few weeks before breeding or reintroduce them to each other.
Hatchling/baby iguana terrarium
There is a big chance that you will get a baby rather than adult iguana straight away. With baby or even hatchling iguana, you will need to get the first cage and then upgrade when the cage becomes too small for it.
Baby green iguanas are very small but grow very fast and mature quickly. As we have mentioned in green iguana facts article, they double in size within six months.
In general, you will be able to get a commercial terrarium for your iguana and keep it in there for 1-2 years. After that, you will need a large custom cage for your iguana.
Cage size for a hatchling – baby iguana
Generally, a terrarium for an iguana should be based on the size of your iguana at a specific point of time.
- Length (L) of a terrarium should be minimum 1.5 longer than your iguana.
- Height (H) should be around 1.5 the length of your iguana.
- Width (W) – at least the same length as the iguana.
For this reference, hatchling iguanas are usually 10 inches long (25cm). So, the perfect first terrarium for a hatchling for up to 6-10 months (iguana will reach around 17 inches by then) should be approximately: 24-35 inches long, 34-36 inches high and 17 inches wide.
The best starter terrariums should be made of glass and have a screen cover. If it doesn’t have a screen cover, get one yourself and place it on a top of the terrarium. Screen cover should act as a barrier to the light source, so iguana doesn’t burn itself when touching it. It will also allow fresh air in.
Iguana terrarium starter examples:
- You can get a habitat for your iguana that will be enough for 6-12 months, depending on the size of your iguana. This Large Tall Exo Terra terrarium is 36″ x 18″ x 24″ and is roughly 67 gallons.
- This Reptibreeze IguAnarium by Zoo Med is also a vertical cage made of PVC coated wire, with a basking shelf, moving wheels and front opening doors. The dimensions of this cage are: 36″ x 18″ x 48″ (90 cm x 45cm x 120cm) – L x D x H. This cage will be fine for your iguana until it turns around 2 years old.
Don’t pick a terrarium that is bigger than that – it can stress a hatchling and make it hard for it to navigate around. Smaller tank is better for a baby as it will not see you as a predator in a big space.
In a big vivarium, they can find it hard to find water and food and navigate around. But also, don’t pick an enclosure that is too small – your iguana will be growing very fast.
As your iguana grows older, you will need a much bigger enclosure, usually a custom made cage, and we will talk about it in a second.
Adult iguana cage size
When your iguana grows up, caging problems start as well. You will need a large custom-built cage. Refer to the reference equation that we talked about in the beginning to calculate the ideal size of the cage for your iguana.
Every iguana is different, and female iguanas are smaller than males. Generally speaking, bigger the cage for an adult iguana = the better.
How big should iguana cage be?
If your adult iguana has reached maturity and is 5 feet long, you will need a terrarium that is 7.5 to 9 feet long, 5 to 6 feet wide and around 6-7.5 feet high.
This custom adult iguana cage is 5.5 feet х 4 feet х 2 feet (height x length x depth)
Adult iguana habitat
And now, let’s discuss how to create your own DIY custom built large iguana cage. There are few options on housing a mature iguana, and we will discuss them in more detail.
You can let your iguana roam the dedicated room.
If you live in a large house and love your iguana as a member of your family, you can house it in a dedicated room. You should only consider this after your iguana turns 6 months or 1 year old and becomes comfortable with you and the surroundings.
This is an excellent option, but you will need to make sure that everything is set up correctly. This option will be unsuitable if you live in colder climate and can’t keep the room temperature optimal for your iguana.
Your iguana should also be laid back and docile.
You will need to ensure that the temperature and humidity in the room is comfortable. Place branches or high objects for your iguana to climb. What is more, you will need to create a basking spot with UVB lights or mercury vapor lights. Also, place a food and water dish. Generally, everything should be the same as it would be in a cage.
Your iguana is a smart lizard and will know where to defecate. You will need to create a spot where you will put the bedding/substrate and clean it when your iguana ‘does its job’.
The best substrate for your iguana is newspaper, bare floor or a reptile liner. They will absorb the waste very well and will be easy to maintain or clean. But the best thing is to potty train your iguana as soon as possible to poop in water or toilet.
Iguana play/rest pen 
Another way to restrict your iguana to one dedicated spot is to create an iguana pen, where you can place a large branch. Along with the cage, your iguana will be able to come out and spend some time of the day in the pen basking and relaxing. Branches need to be thick and sturdy as your pet will be laying on them fully.
As you need to place the vertical branches, the pen will have to be high and usually placed on a platform. In the platform, restrict the area with the mesh or some other kind of barriers. Don’t forget about placing light sources for your iguana to bask.
You can let your iguana roam the house.
If you have an opportunity, let your iguana roam the house. If you let your iguana walk around the entire (or most part of) the house, make sure to think about safety. For this, you will have to close the windows and doors to prevent your iguana from escaping.
Your iguana’s claws are very sharp and will tear curtains and other materials. As iguana loves eating plants and bask under lamps, you will need to remove all plants that are toxic to them (read about toxic and non-toxic plants here).
Also, close the fireplace and place steady lamps or remove them at all (they can burn themselves). If there are any carpets with long fibers in the house, consider removing them.
Fibers can get stuck between iguana’s toes and restrict blood circulation, causing dead toes. Iguanas are also very curious and try to lick and eat everything!
Also, be careful with iguanas and children or pets and make sure to clean the surfaces regularly (due to naturally occurring Salmonella bacteria).
DIY custom built large iguana cage for a mature iguana.
Most people will choose to house their iguana in an indoor or outdoor cage. Placement will depend on your climate, but it is better to keep the cage indoors as it will be easier to create a temperature gradient, regulate humidity and protect your iguana from other predators.
You will need to place a cage indoors and provide additional lighting and humidity (for example by using a fogger). But you can also make a lightweight cage to place your iguana outdoors in the summer.
It is better to have a cage indoors, and walk your iguana (possibly on a leash if there’s a chance of escape) outside in the back garden in summer.
How to build a DIY iguana cage yourself?
When building the iguana cage, you must think about little details. This is important so that your iguana doesn’t injure its claws, skin or tail. Make sure not to leave any small gaps or holes, as your iguana might try to escape and get stuck in there, injuring itself.
And if you are making the cage with welded wire, choose one that has at least 0.5-inch openings, not less. As your iguana will be climbing the wire to explore the cage, its claws can get stuck in these small holes.
The best materials to use for making an iguana cage are wood, mesh and glass.
To make a large iguana cage, use wood to create a framework of needed size. Create a framework out of wooden timbers and join them together with screws.
Then, use welded wire (can be with vinyl coating) of ½ by 1 inch or 1 x 1 inches for the sides of the cage. After getting the welded wire rolls, you will need wire cutters to work with the welded wire and cut it into panels. You can use J pliers for connecting wire panels together.
Attach welded wire to the wooden framework using wire staples. Then, make a base with a thick piece of plywood (3/4 inches) and connect the wooden framework with wiring to the base.
You will have to place the door for entering and cleaning the cage. You can fit in the framed glass door to the cage or use the same welded wire opening in the cage. Also, you can place the whole cage on the caster wheels or frame with wheels. This will give you an ability to move the cage around. This is especially useful in summer.
If you found this information useful, please share it and post any questions that you have in the comments below! Also make sure to read a post on making an iguana room on this page.