Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Signs You Have a Sick Iguana

If you take proper care of your iguana, he should rarely get sick. However, if your lizard does fall ill, you'll want to be able to recognize and treat it quickly. There are a few symptoms you can look for to tell if you have a sick iguana. This article will share some of those signs with you.
Appetite
If you take care of your iguana long enough, you will certainly learn his eating habits. If a change in this routine occurs, there may be something wrong. Things to look for include eating less or more than usual. He may also change his usual choice of food when he gets sick. Sometimes, they'll start eating more or stop eating moist food altogether.
Appearance
Your iguana's skin can also help you determine when he's sick. There may be something wrong if the skin becomes loose or dull. The color of the skin may also change.
Iguanas are capable of changing colors slightly due to temperature, stress, or mood. However, this color change usually goes away quickly. A sick iguana may also change colors, which probably won't go away. The skin usually turns brownish in these cases. If you notice this, you should take him to a vet quickly.
Behavior
Once again, after caring for your iguana long enough you should learn how he normally acts. He could be ill if he becomes more or less active than he usually is. He may also start spending a lot more time in a hiding place. If your normally passive iguana suddenly becomes aggressive, you should seek medical counsel.
These are some of the most important signs of a sick iguana. To learn more about green iguana care visit green-iguana-care.com. Taking proper care of your lizard is vital to his health. So, stop by now to learn about things such as common iguana diseases

Monday, March 16, 2009

Three Popular Pet Tree Frogs

Looking for a unique pet that won't take your house over and pretend that they own it? Have you ever considered buying a pet tree frog? Sure, it may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think about a pet, but the fact is, tree frogs make great pets! Tree frogs are different from other frogs since they spend most of their time living in tall trees, rather than hanging around at a pond or creek like other frogs. The only time they usually hang around on the ground is during mating season and they can be found in many regions throughout the world. There are several different types of tree frogs that one might want to have as a pet including the White's Tree frog, Red-Eyed Tree Frog and a Green Tree frog to name just a few.
White's Tree Frog
Originating in the regions of Australia and New Guinea these bright green frogs make great pets. They are not overly active and do not require any special skill to care for them properly. In terms of size, the White's Tree Frog grows to around 4 or 5 inches long and they will live approximately 15 years. Unlike many frogs that hate to be picked up, the White's Tree Frog seems content with being picked up. As for food, if you're wondering what to feed the White's Tree frog, a safe bet would be crickets, meal worms and even baby mice!
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Just like their name suggests, the Red-Eyed Tree frog has bright red eyes that are noticeable against the bright green color of the frog, with yellow and blue stripes. If you're looking for a unique tree frog with brilliant colors, the Red-Eyed Tree frog is a great option. Red-Eyed frogs are from the rain forests of Central American countries and Costa Rica, which means that when you have them in your home, they need to be kept warm and the air should be very humid. Feeding a Red-Eyed tree frog is easy; Just feed them crickets and they will be very content. These pet frogs will be most active at night and may sleep quite a bit during the day and are very docile.
Green Tree Frog
The Green Tree frog originates in two different regions; the United States and Australia. The Australian Green Tree frog is otherwise known as the White's Tree frog as discussed above.
The American Green Tree frog is found throughout many states in the U.S including Georgia, Florida, Texas, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. The diet of the Green Tree frog consists of crickets, flies, worms and moths, but they are able to go without food for over 48 hours. At 2.5 inches long, they are quite small, but the males are smaller than the females. If you are looking for an inexpensive pet, the Green Tree Frog is perfect as they are often sold for just $10 to $20.
Pet frogs have boomed in popularity in recent years. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog and the White's Tree Frog remain incredibly popular with pet frog owners. If you are looking for a frog for a first time owner, the Green Tree Frog and the White's Tree Frog are both super choices. For more on these and other pet frogs, be sure to visit the Frog World site

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Expert Tips For Trimming Your Iguana's Claws

In the wild, iguanas need sharp claws to climb trees. However, you'll probably want to cut them off so you don't have to worry about them hurting you. Most owners do this at least once a month. This process can prove to be difficult, especially during your first two times. This article will give you a few tips to make trimming your iguana's claws a little easier.
Age
It's best that you start trimming your lizard's claws when he's still very young. If you start while he's young, his claws won't be big enough to cause much damage yet. He will also get used to getting them trimmed so you should have an easier time when he's grown much bigger. Another good reason for starting early is that the claws won't grow as long if you start trimming them at a young age.
Blood
Like other reptiles, iguanas will die if they lose even a modest amount of blood. Therefore, it's important that you don't trim the claw too short. If you do cut it too short, you may nip the blood vessel that runs through the claw and cause bleeding. You should aim for the area just above where the nail starts to curve.
If you do cause bleeding, it's important that you stop it quickly. You can use a commercial blood clotting power or just regular cornstarch. You should hold the bleeding toe in the powder for at least 10 minutes to ensure that all bleeding has stopped.
Fussing
If your iguana isn't used to having his nails trimmed, he will probably fuss and fight. Since they're sharp, you don't want him thrashing them around everywhere. It's a good idea to wrap him completely in a towel leaving only the leg that you're working with out.
Brittle
It's best not to cut the claws when they're very brittle. If his nails are very brittle, then you should wait to cut them after he's had a bath. The water will help make them much less brittle.
These are a few tips for trimming your iguana's claws. There are many more things you need to learn about green iguana care. So, stop by green-iguana-care.com now to learn about things like feeding iguanas

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Dealing With Nose Abrasions in Iguanas

One of the most common problems with keeping iguanas is that they may continuously try to escape. In doing so, they usually rub and bump their noses against the sides of their enclosure. This can result in serious, permanent damage to their nose and face. There are a few things you can do to help prevent your iguana from suffering nose abrasions. This article will share with you some useful advice.
Cage
Most iguanas that continuously try to escape are unhappy with their environment. Therefore, you can help reduce their escape attempts by trying to make their enclosure more to their liking. One of the main problems is that he may be housed in a cage that's too small for him. In this case, you'll need to buy a larger one.
In some cases, you may simply need to provide more vertical space since these lizards love to climb around. You may also want to try adding more branches or rocks to his enclosure. Another hiding spot or two won't hurt either.
Walls
Rough surfaces will increase the likelihood of nose abrasions. This is commonly a problem in cages that walls made with screen or wire mesh. It's best to choose a cage that has smooth wall surfaces so your iguana won't damage his nose if he keeps rubbing it against the wall.
Vision
Another way you can limit escape attempt and subsequent nose abrasions is to limit your iguana's vision. This can easily be done by lining the bottom of the walls with either dark film or paint. Lining the bottom five inches of the wall should be suitable enough.
This will help keep your iguana from trying to escape and causing damage to his nose. If you're a new owner, there are many things you need to learn about caring for iguanas. So, stop by green-iguana-care.com to learn about things such as common iguana health problems

Friday, March 13, 2009

Finding a Pet Poison Dart Frog

Inhabiting countries of South and Central America like Costa Rica, Columbia, Bolivia and Peru, the poison dart frog is a stunning, bright colored frog that secretes a poisonous toxin. The science community only discovered this unique frog in the 1960's, but it has been known by tribes for many years. By the name of the frog, one might think that it is somehow able to shoot poisonous darts, but this is simply not the case. The poison dart naming comes from the fact that tribes in the rain forest used the poison on the tips of darts that they would use to subdue a threat.
The poison dart frog is not just one frog, but an entire species of frogs that contains well over 100 individual types of poison dart frogs. Usually, these frogs are quite small and measure less than 1 inch long, but some species can grow up to about 2.5 inches.
While the poison in many species of poison dart frogs may not be enough to kill a healthy human, their have been instances where the poison entered a cut or scratch which resulted in death. Their poison is quite effective in subduing their predators, however if a poison dart frog is born in captivity, it's unlikely that they will contain any poison. The poison that is developed in the frog while out in the wild is because of it's diet of ants, termites, beetles and other insects. When they no longer eat the poisonous beetles of Central America, the toxins in their body are no longer produced, making them harmless.
Most of us are accustomed to seeing frogs at the edge of a pond, marsh or stream, but the dart frog is different. It does not have webbed feet and is therefore not a good swimmer, so you won't find one of these frogs living in ponds.
Unfortunately, the Poison Dart frog is experiencing a population crisis and is on the endangered species list. Over the years, destruction of rain forest land as well as droughts in their regions, these frogs have decreased in numbers. Fortunately, pet Poison Dart Frogs are bred only in captivity and are not collected from the wild.
The bright colors of these frogs are just incredible and it's no wonder why people want to keep them as pets. With proper care, the Poison Dart Frog can live for many years in captivity.
To learn more about Poison Dart Frogs, check out Frog World. Poison Dart Frogs are wildly popular pet frogs and are entertaining to watch. There are many types of Poison Dart Frogs, each with distinctive colors and markings.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Owner's Guide to Overheating in Iguanas

You're probably aware that iguanas are from tropical areas. This makes you think that overheating isn't a common problem, but it is. In the wild, iguanas can get out of the sun anytime they need to. In captivity, they rely on you to keep their temperature in a suitable range and provide them with a cooler area to go to.
It's very important that you have a few thermometers in your iguana's enclosure. This will allow you to monitor the temperature and do something if it gets too warm. You should try to have at least three thermometers spread throughout the enclosure.
The placement of the thermometers is also important. If you intend to use one to monitor the temperature in the middle of the enclosure, placing it on a side wall will give you an inaccurate reading. Therefore, you should put the thermometer in close proximity to the area you want to monitor.
If the temperature does happen to get out of control, you will want to know the signs of overheating in iguanas. The most noticeable symptom if panting and gaping his mouth. If you feel him, he will probably feel hot to the touch.
If your iguana is overheating, you should immediately remove him from the heat source. After being removed, he should cool down without further intervention. If you want to speed things along, you can put lukewarm water in a bottle and mist him.
You should also know that iguanas that overheat are very susceptible to dehydration. Therefore, if your iguana does suffer this condition, you need to make sure he gets rehydrated. The best way to do this is to feed him foods with high water content such as lettuce and watermelon.
Always keep an eye on the temperature in your iguana's enclosure to ensure he doesn't overheat. There are plenty of things all owners need to learn about proper iguana care. If you want to ensure your pet stays healthy for a long time, head over to green-iguana-care.com. Gets tips on a range of topics like setting up an iguana habitat

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Newbie's Guide to Choosing Iguana Pets

Iguanas are one of the most common exotic pets. If you're considering getting one of these lizards, you should know a few things beforehand. Here are a few things you need to consider when buying iguana pets.
Once you've made the decision to buy an ig, you should start looking for an enclosure. It's best to have the enclosure setup before you bring him home. This will give you a chance to make sure the humidity and heat is adjusted well enough. This is especially important when getting a younger ig.
After you've got the enclosure, you need to decide where you want to get your iguana from. You'll have to choose between a pet store and adoption from a rescue shelter. You should know that pet stores generally don't give iguana pets the best care.
The igs are usually very stressed, and the employees may even give you invalid information about their proper care. If you want the best chance of getting a healthy pet, you should consider adoption. The rescuers generally take very good care of iguana pets.
Once you've decided where you want to get your ig from, you're ready to pick one out. You should make sure you check the iguana out thoroughly before you take him home. If you're buying a younger iguana, it's important that he's very energetic. An immature iguana that rarely moves around is in all likelihood sick. Older ones are usually less active, but can still be healthy.
It's also a good idea to check for parasites. Mites are some of the most common parasites. You can check for an infestation by looking closely at the iguana's scales. Mites will appear as small specks that are moving around.
Another common problem with iguana pets is dry gangrene. This condition causes symptoms such as blackened tail tips and toes. However, some iguanas naturally have black patterns, so you shouldn't get this confused with dry gangrene.
Now that you've decided to get one of these exotic pets, there is a lot you'll need to learn about green iguana care. So, click over to green-iguana-care.com right now to get started. So, come learn about a wide range of topics such as common iguana diseases