Tips to take care of an Iguana

Iguanas are cold blooded reptiles. They are not easy to care for and often die in captivity. They should never be purchased without careful consideration. Iguanas are very expensive to care for, you need to make sure that they have the proper heat and lighting conditions, that they are fed the correct foods, and that their cage offers them enough room to grow to their full 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 m). If you are considering buying an iguana, think how it will cost to spend the majority of your money making sure they are properly cared for. They are not a throw away pet!

Give your iguana a lot of proper light. Iguanas need lots of natural special light so they can absorb U.V.B. and U.V.A light. U.V.A light keeps your iguana feeling good and helps reptiles have a good feeding response. U.V.B. light allows the iguana to digest their food and absorb vitamin D which allows them to absorb the calcium that they need to help prevent metabolic bone disease.The best source of U.V.A light is the sun or basking lights. U.V.B. light should be purchased at pet stores like Pet Smart offer fluorescent bulbs that are designed specifically for U.V.B. output. It is necessary to change out the U.V.B bulb every 6-12 "nine months is usually best" to keep your iguana healthy.

It is very important to provide adequate heat for your iguana. These reptiles are native to warm climates such as Central and South America, and they are not used to lower temperatures. When keeping an iguana as a pet it is important to have a heat lamp to keep the iguana warm. Average temperature needed on a day to day basis is between 80 and 90 degrees. Once you have a heat lamp in place it is important to make sure that you watch your iguana to see how they react to the heat. If they are constantly under the heat lamp it needs to be warmer, if they are never under the heat lamp it needs to be cooler. Nighttime temperature shouldn't drop below 75oF, daytime temperatures should be in the range of 85-95oF, with a hot stop between 97-99oF. Check your temperatures. These temperatures can be attained by use of heat lamps hooked up to a dimmer. Iguanas are cold blooded and cannot regulate their temperature like humans. Therefore when they get to hot or cold they move to where it is cooler or warmer. Do not allow your iguana direct access to the heat lamps as they may burn themselves. Electrically heated terrarium rocks, though aesthetically pleasing are potentially dangerous and should not be used.

Prepare your iguana's home. You'll need a nice large house for your iguana. An aquarium that you get from a pet store is not big enough, even for your baby iguana. A good size for an adult iguana cage is 3 feet (0.9 m) deep x 6 feet (1.8 m) wide x 6 feet (1.8 m) high. This will give even an adult iguana some space to move around.

Other things to consider include the need for large branches, as iguanas love to climb. As a way to regulate the humidity within the cage consider buying a humidifier to put moisture into the air. The most important thing to remember when buying or making your pet's home is that iguanas grow very fast.

Feed your iguana properly. Iguanas are vegetarians and a variety of dark green leafy vegetables will keep your iguana healthy. Recommended greens are -collard greens, mustard greens, alfalfa, dandelion greens, watercress. Iguanas do not eat head or iceberg lettuce as these have virtually no nutrition! Romaine lettuce is acceptable, yet iguanas also need a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy diet. These include -yucca root, snap peas, parsnip, papayas, okra, mango, kabocha squash, green beans, butternut squash and acorn squash "avoid citrus fruits though, as reptiles can't handle the acidity". For treats you can give them - dahlia, hibiscus, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, or whole wheat bread pieces "give them bread very sparingly though" and do not be afraid of giving your iguana some "Commercial Iguana Food". It does provide the nutrients they need. However, it is "highly" recommended to give them vegetables and fruits so they have a broad source of vitamins and nutrients they need as well as extra hydration. Iguanas need a constant supply of fresh, clean water to drink from! Be sure to change the water frequently, otherwise you risk having a sick lizard!

Multiple Iguanas- Not a good idea if in the same cage. Iguanas are by nature very territorial, in the wild they live on their own and only get together to mate. Having two or more iguanas in the same cage will usually cause them to become aggressive with each other leading to fights and injured iguanas. This can cause disease such as mouth rot. Mouth rot happens if the iguanas get hurt at the mouth and the wound gets infected. Likely you won't notice it for a while but he or she will eventually stop eating due to the infection. Mouth rot can also occur from bacterial, viral, and parasitic origins. Mouth rot can occur from incorrect cage humidity and temps, poor nutrition, or bacterial infection. You can tell right away if your pet has mouth rot by just looking at his mouth. If you see puss in the mouth "usually looks like cottage cheese" or any swelling on the jaws, its most likely a type of mouth rot. There are vast ways an iguana can be in danger of something going wrong but mouth rot can be more common due to improper cage setup. It is treatable, but do not wait until your pet is very weak to get him treated, otherwise it may be too late to save the iguana. Don't wait to treat a problem or your iguana may die. Do as much research as possible, and set thing up right the first time around. An iguana can become a wonderful pet if care is taken seriously, as these lizards can live 20+ years.

Photographer finds forgotten Mongolian tribe and captures their unique friendship with animals

Human civilization has come a long way since modern humans appeared about 200,000 years ago in Africa.
And from living in caves and making use of what nature has to offer, humans have learned to build cities with millions inhabitants that our ancestors never could have imagined.
Meanwhile, globalization has made it harder for indigenous cultures to preserve their way of life.
However, there are still some remote, nomadic peoples that have contiued their way of life for centuries. For example, the Dukha people of Mongolia.
They have developed a special relationship with the wild animals of their region, which photographer Hamid Sardar-Afkham has captured in a way that will leave you in awe.
Scroll down to see his stunning pictures:

The Dukha people have created a bond with animals that most people can only dream of. For example, they often use reindeer as transportation.

The reindeer have been domesticated and they are treated almost like family.
Even at a young age, Dukha children learn to train reindeer and gain their respect.



This young girl is getting ready to wash a reindeer calf.

The Dukha people also use reindeer milk to make yogurt and cheese, which are staples of the tribe. They only slaughter a few reindeer per year for their meat and skins.



 Now, there are only some 40 Dukha families left, totaling 200-400 people.


The people are also known as "Tsaatan," meaning "reindeer."


In recent years, the Dukha people have also learned to live with curious tourists.
Visitors buy handicrafts and ride reindeer.


Although they could live in one location, the Dukha people continue to live as nomads.
They move from one place to another throughout the year.


The Dukha people not only have a close relationship with reindeer...


... they also train wolves!

And hunt with golden eagles.

Owning an eagle means high status. And the few who manage to hunt with this large bird of prey often hold a strong position in the society.

Most people hunt small wild animals like rabbits. But they are are also sold in markets.

The Dukha people believe that they have a spiritual contact with animals.


Their special contact with animals allows them to feel at home in nature and maintain their culture.

Lately, the outside world has been influencing them more and more and making it more difficult for the nomads to live in their traditional way.




It's sure great to see the Dukha people's culture and their relationship with the animal kingdom.
That they have managed to preserve their way of life is wonderful—and a good reminder that our world has so many different cultures.

Republicans Are Coming for the Endangered Animals

Donald Trump’s transition team has been making everyone extremely nervous with its inquiries into employees who believe in climate change, “gender-related” programs, and the money spent on aid to Africa. Now, GOP lawmakers are picking up their cues and are beginning to push hard on legislation that will likely be successful under a Trump presidency, like threatening animals.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Democrats and environmental activists have managed to block many proposed measures intended to limit the power or dismantle the Endangered Species Act, which was established in 1973 in connection with the diminishing population of our national symbol, the Bald Eagle. But now, Republicans want to ditch the whole act:


The Endangered Species Act is often one of the few things standing between land and a big oil-seeking drill. Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife, told the Chicago Tribune, “Any species that gets in the way of a congressional initiative or some kind of development will be clearly at risk,” adding, “The political lineup is as unfavorable to the Endangered Species Act as I can remember.”
For example, Sen. Jim Inhofe, who is currently glad-handing Donald Trump’s EPA nomination Scott Pruitt at his confirmation hearing, has suggested “one species should be removed from the list every time another is added.” Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan has said he wants to limit applications to protect species to one at a time. 1,600 plants and animals in the U.S. are currently protected by the law, with hundreds more under consideration. Only 70 have ever been “recovered” and removed, as bringing an animal back from the brink of extinction is actually very hard!

Vanderbilt law professor J.B. Ruhl, considered the leading expert on the act, indicated to the Chicago Tribune that even a few small adjustments to the wording of the law will change it from something that can protect huge swathes of land to little more than a hunting limitation. As it turns out, laws are also a delicate eco-system

Strange Facts about the giraffe

Here are some unusual facts about one of the most distinctive-looking creatures on the continent. Neck The giraffe's best-known feature can be longer than most people are tall. However, like humans it still only has seven vertebrae. Each is about 25 centimetres (10 inches) long. It is used to reach high up into trees for food but too short to reach the ground, so the animals have to splay their legs or kneel down to drink water. Luckily they only drink every few days and get most of their hydration from plants. The neck is also used in an elaborate ritual fight known as "necking" in which giraffes swing at each other to establish dominance.

Markings

 With its spotted pattern and long legs and neck, the giraffe was given the Latin name "camelopardalis", meaning "camel marked like a leopard". But the spots are not only for camouflage. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), each patch is surrounded by a sophisticated system of blood vessels which act as thermal windows to release body heat. A thermal scan of a giraffe shows the intensity of heat in its body matching the pattern of the spots. Like the human fingerprint, each giraffe has its own unique pattern. Big tongue, big heart It's not just the neck and legs which are outsized on a giraffe. Its tongue can measure up to 50 centimetres to give the animal even more leverage in nibbling from the top of its favoured tree, the acacia. 

The tongue

Blue-black colour is believed to shield the organ from sun exposure and it is widely accepted that a giraffe's sticky saliva has antiseptic properties to protect it from spiky thorns on the acacia. A giraffe's heart weights up to 11 kilograms—to power blood up a neck of nearly two metres—and beats up to 170 times per minute, double the speed of a human heart. 

Breeding 

Giraffes have one of the longest gestation periods, at 15 months. They give birth standing up, which means their calves drop just under two metres to the ground. This startling introduction to life gets them up and running around in less than an hour. A newborn calf is bigger than the average adult. In the wild, giraffes can live up to 25 years, while in captivity they can survive over 35 years. Genetics Giraffes evolved from an antelope-like animal of about three metres tall that roamed the forests of Asia and Europe 30 to 50 million years ago. Its closest living relative is the okapi. In September scientists revealed there were in fact four distinct giraffe species and not one, as initially thought.

Iguana

Some Endangered

Iguanas are some of the largest lizards found in the Americas, with their whiplike tail making up about half of that length. Like other reptiles, iguanas are cold-blooded, egg-laying animals with an excellent ability to adapt to their environment.
Iguana species vary greatly in size, color, behavior, and their endangered status in the wild. Some species, like the green iguana, are quite common; others, like Fiji’s banded iguanas, are endangered. Iguanas native to San Diego County are the desert iguana and the chuckwalla.

HABITAT AND DIET

Different iguana species look and act so differently, you might not recognize them as members of the same family. While some iguanas have colors that are vivid and bright, others have rather dull colors. Because iguanas can be found in a variety of habitats, each species has its own unique adaptations. The marine iguana of the Galápagos Islands is a skillful swimmer, and its black coloration helps it to warm its body after swimming in the cold ocean.

 

 In contrast, the green iguana is at home high in the trees of a tropical rain forest, while still other iguana species have adaptations that allow them to live successfully in the dry, hot desert or rocky areas.

With an emerald green body and bands of white or blue, more prominent on the males, Fiji’s three known iguana species inhabit a multitude of habitats, from coastal swamps and lowland forests to rain forests on Fiji’s volcanic slopes. Highly arboreal, they have long toes with sharp claws and long tails for balance in the treetops. Rarely seen on the ground, banded iguanas move from tree to tree by using the overlapping branches. They are omnivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruits, and small insects.

Adult banded iguanas may reach 21 inches long—more than half of which is the tail. When fully mature, they weigh between 3.5 and 7 ounces, and males tend to be larger and heavier than females.

The Caribbean islands are rich in reptiles, with more than 500 reptile species, 94 percent of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Several Carribbean iguana species are known collectively as rock iguanas, and some are found on just one or two islands. Female rock iguanas lay a clutch of 5 to 20 relatively large eggs each year; the larger eggs result in large hatchlings that evolved in response to the lack of native predators. Unlike their mainland counterparts, such as green iguanas, the island-dwelling iguanas do not need to produce a lot of offspring as a hedge against predators.

The smallest of the rock iguana group are the Turks and Caicos iguanas. All eat a wide variety of fruits and serve as important seed dispersers for many native plants.

Most iguanas are herbivores, eating fruits, flower buds, and young leaves. Some species also eat the occasional juicy mealworm or wax worm! The marine iguana dives in the ocean to scrape algae from rocks. At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, our iguanas are offered a fruit salad that includes dark leafy greens and a variety of fruits, while some species also receive crickets, mealworms, and wax worms. But because wax worms are high in fat, they are considered the “dessert” part of the menu! Speaking of food, iguanas themselves are eaten by a variety of natural predators—hawks, owls, snakes—and humans. Green iguanas are bred and raised on farms in Central and South America to be eaten by people. Young iguanas are particularly vulnerable to predation by feral cats, and no iguana is safe from a pack of dogs. The iguana’s whiplike tail can be used for defense, and many species have tails with sharp “spines” that pack an extra “punch.”

FAMILY LIFE

No mama for the baby iguana: The females of most iguana species dig a burrow in a sunny area, lay their eggs inside, cover them, and then leave the eggs alone. Even arboreal iguana species leave the trees to lay their eggs. The temperature in the burrow stays a fairly constant 77 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 32 degrees Celsius). The warm temperature incubates the eggs. All eggs in a nest usually hatch at the same time, and the young dig out of the burrow without help from the parents. On their own, iguana hatchlings face many dangers.

 

CONSERVATION 

Habitat loss, the introduction of exotic animals that prey on iguanas, capture for the pet trade, and poaching are some of the threats to wild iguana populations. Some species that were once plentiful in the wild are now beginning to disappear. There are several measures that can help iguanas survive, such as captive propagation in zoos, hunting and collecting restrictions, and education programs for people living in or near iguana habitats. As a group, Caribbean rock iguanas Cyclura species are the most endangered lizards in the world. They suffered greatly when humans settled on these islands and began large-scale habitat destruction and alteration. Plantations, homes, and resorts cleared out the plants iguanas fed on, and car traffic became one of the biggest threats to iguanas on the move. Cats introduced to the islands by humans have been eating both iguana eggs and the young hatchlings, causing the iguanas' numbers to shrink.

Working with local governments and other organizations, San Diego Zoo Global is helping these iguanas both here in our Kenneth and Anne Griffin Reptile Conservation Center, and in the field on various Caribbean islands. Our rock iguana breeding program has been so successful that a new facility was built in Puerto Rico to accommodate the growing population. Without this expanded facility, the fate of these beautiful iguanas would be less certain. The breeding program includes supporting the animals in our facilities and field programs to establish new populations and to move current populations to small islands with no people, so the iguanas have room to grow.

We use a technique called “headstarting”: iguana eggs are incubated in a facility and the hatchlings are taken care of in large pens until they are large enough to protect themselves from predators, thus giving them a head start in the wild. We have translocated some species to smaller uninhabited and protected islands or cays where, it is hoped, the iguanas can flourish.
To date, 179 Anegada iguanas Cyclura pinguis have been raised and released, nearly doubling the size of the wild population. Our goals include removing feral predators from Anegada Island and restoring iguanas to some of Puerto Rico’s satellite islands, where the species historically occurred.

Since 2002, our recovery program for the Grand Cayman blue iguana Cyclura lewisi has boosted their numbers from a low of 25 in the wild to more than 500 released into a new wilderness reserve where they are now reproducing! San Diego Zoo Global is one of several organizations in North America working to produce a captive, self-sustaining population of Jamaican iguanas Cyclura collei to ensure genetic diversity for the species' worldwide population. A male iguana hatched on August 30, 2013—the first time this species was successfully bred at our facility.

In addition, we’ve helped implement conservation education programs on some of the Caribbean islands to increase public awareness and support for iguana conservation initiatives.

The Lau banded iguana Brachylophus fasciatus, first described in 1800, was believed to be the sole iguana species in Fiji for nearly 200 years. In 1979, the Fiji crested iguana Brachylophus vitiensis was found on one of Fiji’s volcanic islands, and that island was soon set aside as a crested iguana sanctuary, which helped increase the species population dramatically. A third species of Fiji iguana was described in 2006, the Fiji banded iguana Brachylophus bulabula. San Diego Zoo Global’s Genetics Division has been working to further test blood and skin samples from iguanas living on 23 of Fiji’s islands, and the results suggest at least another new species is in need of description! These genetic studies will help determine how iguanas should be protected in Fiji and which managed-care lineages could be used for reintroduction. The government of Fiji has loaned 50 of these iguanas to use as part of a species survival program.

Both banded and crested iguanas are endangered, due to habitat destruction for housing and the clearing of land for farming and livestock, as well as the introduction of mongooses and feral cats, which prey upon the iguanas and their young. Mongooses were brought to Fiji to hunt rats in the sugarcane fields, but they spread to wild areas and also feasted on the iguanas.

Fiji is also battling the introduction in 2000 of the green or common iguana Iguana Iguana, called the American iguana in Fiji. That species has become quite a pest and is said to be a threat to local vegetation; eradication measures are underway.

Visiting the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park helps the giant rock iguanas of the West Indies, which are the most endangered group of lizards in the world. Our rock iguana breeding program has been so successful that a new facility was built to accommodate the growing population. Without this expanded facility, the fate of these beautiful iguanas would be less certain. The breeding program includes supporting the animals in our facilities and supporting a field program to establish new populations and to move current populations to small islands with no people so the iguanas have room to grow.

The 5 Most Endangered Canine Species

Endangered Canine Species

Domesticated dogs are some of the most popular animals on the planet, but their cousins in the wild aren't always as beloved. For thousands of years humans have persecuted wolves, jackals, dingoes, foxes and other members of the family Canidae, pushing many species into or close to extinction. Here are five of the most endangered canine species and subspecies, three of which only continue to exist because a few people and organizations have taken extraordinary efforts to save them.

The Ethiopian Wolf

Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) don't have the smallest population on this list—estimates put the species at 450 to 500 individuals—but looking at that number alone hides the true circumstances of these rare canids. The animals live in six fragmented population groups, some with fewer than 25 wolves, all of which are scattered hundreds of kilometers apart from one another. Few Ethiopian wolves are able to travel from one pack to another, so the species is at a high risk of inbreeding according to a study I covered last year. Meanwhile the wolves face continued persecution from livestock owners, reduced prey levels, diseases from domesticated dogs and a rapidly growing human population. Luckily the wolves' biggest subpopulations live in protected areas, and efforts are underway to establish a new national park that will protect them even further, but we have already seen one subpopulation die out in the past decade, and it's likely we'll lose one or two more in the coming years.

The Mexican Gray Wolf

Once hunted into near-extinction as a supposed threat to cattle and other livestock, Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) currently live in a sort of limbo. All of the wolves alive today are descended from just five animals captured in 1973 to prevent the subspecies from disappearing. About 300 wolves live in captive-breeding facilities in the U.S. and Mexico. Roughly 60 more have been released into the wild where they are defined as a "nonessential experimental population," a status that affords them only partial protection. As I wrote earlier this year, all remaining Mexican gray wolves have very limited genetics, and continued breeding of both captive and wild wolves must be done carefully to preserve their scant genetic diversity. Even though the wild population breeds on its own, dozens of the released wolves have been killed by cars or hunters, making every animal that remains all that more precious.

The Red Wolf

 

The rarest wolf species, red wolves (Canis rufus) almost went extinct by the middle of the 20th century. First they were nearly eradicated in order to protect livestock. Then coyotes started moving into their territory, where they hybridized with the wolves. By the time the last red wolves were brought into captivity in 1973, only 14 pure individuals remained. Today that population has increased to nearly 200 wolves living in captive-breeding centers and about another 120 in the wild in northeastern North Carolina. Like Mexican gray wolves, that wild population is classified as an experimental nonessential population. Also, like their Mexican relatives, the wild population has been heavily hit by illegal hunting, with at least 10 animals killed since the beginning of 2012. As I wrote earlier this year, those deaths bear heavy penalties under the Endangered Species Act, and the FWS is seeking information on anyone responsible for the killings.


 

Darwin's Fox

First up is the critically endangered Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes). Native to Chile, 250 of the 320 members of the species can be found on the 8,400-square-kilometer Chiloé Island. The remaining 70 live on the mainland at just one site, the 68-square-kilometer Nahuelbuta National Park. This secondary population, which was only discovered about 20 years ago, is obviously the more fragile of the two. The park is frequently visited by tourists and the foxes have become habituated to their presence, leaving the animals vulnerable both to cars and the dogs that humans bring with them. The population on Chiloé Island is a bit safer, especially within the island's two national parks, but elsewhere on the island they still face a small amount of poaching as well as habitat loss from logging and development. Unlike a lot of other critically endangered species, though, the scientific consensus seems to be that these rare foxes are relatively safe and their population is stable.

Island Fox

It's almost unfair to list to the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) as just one entry on this list. It's not really one species: it is actually six different subspecies, each of which lives on its own island off the California coast. These foxes have been hard hit by distemper, mostly affecting the foxes on Catalina Island, and an incursion of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), massive birds that see the tiny, cat-size canines as easy prey. Golden eagles didn't used to visit California's Channel Islands often, but the decline of the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the 1960s allowed the birds to expand their territory. As a direct result, four of the six island fox subspecies were nearly wiped out during the 1990s. By the year 2000 the San Miguel Island fox and the Santa Rosa Island fox had each declined to just 15 individuals. The Santa Cruz Island fox had just 80 individuals and the Santa Catalina Island fox wasn't far behind at 103 animals.