How to tell if a iguana is a boy or a girl

Sexing iguanas

Telling the difference between a male and female iguana can be tricky. If you plan to buy your pet iguana from a pet store or even a breeder, you should be able to tell the two apart on your own.

This way, when you arrive home and put them in their new habitat, you know exactly what you have – a boy or a girl.

By knowing the sex of your iguana, you can learn everything about that specific gender, which will help you know how to care for it best and handle them properly. This way, you will have fewer surprises and a better understanding on how to deal with the various situations that will arise.

Sexual maturity

To sex an iguana, keep in mind that this cannot be determined until it has reached maturity. In other words, baby iguanas, whether male or female, look the same, making it impossible to sex.

Physical characteristics

The sexual maturity of an iguana is related not to age but to size. For instance, once the male iguana reaches six inches long, he is considered sexually mature. For the female, she would need to reach around 10 inches long.

Male

For the male, it will generally show secondary sexual characteristics such as enlarged jowls. The male typically has a block-like shaped head and might have two fatty deposits, one located behind the eye and the other above the ear.

The male iguana will generally have a heavier body with a visible bulge by the base of the tail.

Female

For the female, you will see that she is missing the secondary characteristics that are found on the male. Additionally, she will have a smaller head, not have the fatty deposits, her jowls will be more pronounced, and her body more sleek and streamlined.

The female iguana will also have the small femoral pores. These pores do not develop the waxy substance like the male however. The female will also lack the hemipenal bulge that the male has.

Gender advantages

Many people thinking about buying an iguana want to know if there is an advantage of owning one gender over the other. Well, it really depends on what you want in that they do have many differences. That means that both the male and the female can be wonderful, interesting pets while also presenting their own unique problems.

photo credits

To enjoy your iguana most, you need to work with it, taming and socializing so that it can be enjoyed and handled with ease. Naturally, an iguana is not a domesticated creature.

This type of creature has instincts from the wild relating to survival. Therefore, when working with your iguana, you will need to be patient and realize it takes time to tame your pet.

How to handle iguanas

Additionally, to help your iguana feel, comfortable and confident in you, and to help reduce injury to yourself, it is imperative that you learn how to handle an iguana the correct way.

By handling your pet each day, even if only for a few minutes, you will slowly build the relationship. With proper handling, your iguana will not be fearful but become trusting of you.

Picking up iguanas

It is important that you learn to pick your iguana up properly. First, it will ensure your wonderful pet is not harmed and it will help build a lasting, loving bond between the two of you. You should also create a proper habitat for it, so that you have enough space for handling the iguana.

Baby iguanas

For the baby iguana, you will notice it is squirmier than that of a mature iguana. For this reason, you need to take extra care to ensure it does not wiggle out of your hand, only to fall and become injured.

When you bring your baby iguana home, you want to start handling it daily right away. Eventually, the iguana will start to settle down, staying in your hand without jumping or wiggling.

The best thing is to go off to a room such as a bathroom where the door can be shut and a towel placed at the bottom so your new pet does not getaway. Additionally, check for edible things in the trashcan that would need to be removed. Finally, make sure the toilet lid is down!

The most important thing when working with a baby iguana is not to grab at it but gently pick it up, stroking it and talking softly. Always approach your new pet slowly and calmly, especially males. You can pet its head and back as you slip one of your hands under its front feet, carefully scooping the rest of the body up in the palm of your hand while cupping it with the other hand for protection.

When you hold your pet iguana, you need to make sure its body is supported, holding it close to your body so that if it jumps, it will fall into you and not on the floor. Once you have picked your iguana up, sit down in your iguana-proofed room and let it investigate your lap. By doing this every day, you will soon start to see a difference in how your iguana reacts to you touching and holding it.

photo credits

Iguanas Habitat

One of the most important things to remember when choosing an iguana as a pet is that they are extremely dependent upon their environment for many things. For example, they get the heat and wavelengths of light, which helps with body chemistry, metabolism and humidity.

All of these things can be challenging when an iguana is kept in captivity. By educating yourself on an iguana’s habitat, you will be able to create the perfect home for it, keeping it safe and healthy.

Cage

The bottom of the iguana’s cage should be covered with clean newspaper, although other things such as butcher paper or indoor/outdoor carpet tiles would also work well. Any of these materials can be changed out easily and quickly. The things you want to avoid include pea gravel, wood shavings, cat litter, sand, sawdust, moss, ground-up corncob.

These materials have a number of problems being they can soil easily, which means the cage will not have the sanitation needed and they can be eaten by the iguana, which can cause impaction of the intestines. With moss, you want to avoid this in particular since it stays moist, promoting skin infections in the iguana.

When you think of the iguana’s cage, you need to think of two words: dry and clean. Remember that your pet will be urinating in its cage, meaning that dishes, toys, food, and so on that should become soiled needs to be taken out of the cage immediately. Does this take more time? Yes, it does but it also ensures you have a happy and healthy pet.

When you clean your iguana’s cage, your best bet is to stick with good, old-fashioned soap and water. Since both male and female iguanas in general do not do well with cleaners made from pine oil, which includes the two most popular brands of lysol and pine sol, you should avoid them.

Size

While you need to ensure your iguana has ample room to enjoy the sun, the sunning enclosure does not have to be as large as the iguana’s regular cage. Just make sure your pet will have room for a branch to soak up the sun and a little climbing room. And that you will be able to handle your iguana inside the cage.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing an enclosure is the materials in which it is made. For example, it needs to be sturdy enough to withstand wind, along with being made from weather resistant material for sudden downpours.

When you place the sunning enclosure outdoors for your pet iguana, make sure it has both sun and shade. This way, the iguana can enjoy the sun for a while and then cool off in the shade when it needs to. If you like, you can even choose a misting system for the enclosure. With this, your iguana would be misted with cool water every so often. Regardless of the setup that you decide to use, just make sure you provide supervision for your pet at all times.

photo credits

Guinea pigs poisonous foods

You should know there are some guinea pigs foods that you shouldn’t feed them. Ever!

If you accidentally feed your guinea pig something from this list that is not poisonous, just watch him or her carefully for signs of illness. However, you’ll want to call or take him to the vet immediately if he or she has ingested something poisonous.

The forbidden items

- Do not feed your guinea pig iceberg lettuce. While most leafy greens do provide an excellent source of Vitamin C for your guinea pig, iceberg lettuce does not. You’re better off purchasing kale or cabbage for your pet.

• Do not feed your guinea pig long stalks of celery. Those stringy pieces that can get wound up in your garbage disposal are just as hard for your guinea pig to digest. If your guinea pig likes celery, you need to cut it up into smaller pieces before you give it to them.

• Some other guinea pigs foods you should avoid are shelled nuts or seeds. Your guinea pig can easily choke on the pieces of the shell. Also, be careful about the guinea pig treat sticks that are sold in pet stores because these often contain shelled seeds.

• Do not feed your guinea pig rhubarb, beans, or potatoes with green spots. These are all poisonous to your guinea pig.

• Do not feed your guinea pig certain types of plants. While some plants, like dandelions and clover, are safe for your guinea pig, many others are poisonous to him or her. Daffodils, hyacinths, poppy, and buttercups are some of those too avoid.

• Do not feed your guinea pig any dairy products.

• Although some people may suggest feeding their guinea pigs yogurt in order to clean out their digestive systems, you should avoid feeding any dairy product to your guinea pig because they are lactose intolerant, which means their bodies can not properly process daily products.

• Also, excess calcium will cause guinea pigs to develop kidney and/or bladder stones, so it’s better not to include in guinea pigs foods too much from it.

And remember:

If you accidentally feed your guinea pig something from the list above that is not poisonous, just watch him or her carefully for signs of illness. However, you’ll want to call or take him to the vet immediately if he or she has ingested something poisonous.

photo credits

Unhealthy Bearded Dragon?

If it is not breeding season or the beginning of a new shed period, the following signs may indicate pain from an injury, abscess, tumor, abdominal mass, or other problem:

Movement

- Lethargy
- Lack of usual activity
- Reluctance to move
- Favoring a limb, tail or quadrant

Responses

- Unusual aggression to all contact
- Withdrawal or avoidance behavior, especially in a usually sociable or gregarious individual

Posture

- Hunching (abdomen tucked up)
- Sunken eyes

Behavior

- Restless
- Anorexic
- Lack of appetite
- Depressed

These are only a few signs you should be aware on, so that your bearded dragon stays healthy. More facts, advices and tips from real owners, along with everything you need to know about bearded dragons, you can find on Bearded Dragon Secrets Revealed Ebook

photo credits

Is biting a problem?

Guinea pigs very rarely bite. When they are frightened, they prefer to run and hide, instead of fighting, so children and adults can safely handle them without fear. Still it is always a good idea when handling any small pet to wash your hands thoroughly before you pick them up, especially if you have been dealing with food. If your fingers smell like food, then the guinea pigs may mistakenly be biting you.

Baby guinea pigs do have a tendency to nibble on fingers because, just like any young animal, they learn about their environment by exploring it with their mouths. Eventually, they will outgrow this.

On occasion you may find a guinea pig that does bite. This is relatively rare, but it does happen sometimes. When it does, you don’t need to give up on the guinea pig, he can be helped.

Usually, there are two reasons why an animal bites:

1. They are afraid of you

or

2. They feel they are more dominate than you.

Before you help your guinea pig with its problem, you need to determine which of these is the case for your pet.

A guinea pig who bites out of fear is usually very timid and may try to avoid you, even in the cage. He may curl up into the corners so that you can’t find him. When you touch him, the guinea pig may start shivering or shaking because he is afraid. In these cases, the guinea pig is so scared that he feels he has to fight back in order to defend himself. To stop this behavior, you must start slowly.

Don’t pick up the animal, but instead start by reaching into the cage and stroking its head briefly. Then, gradually increase your contact with the guinea pig until it feels comfortable with you handling him. It may take awhile and it may require a great deal of patience, but the payoff will be a closer relationship between the two of you and a happier guinea pig.

There are also two ways you don’t want to handle either of these situations. First, never make sounds like an injured guinea pig if he bites you. Some people foolishly believe that the guinea pig will feel so bad for causing you pain that he’ll immediately stop, but that’s not how the animal thinks. Instead, they feel more dominate since a whining guinea pig is usually the weaker one, and your problems will only get worse. Another thing not to do is to yell or hit your guinea pig.

Because biting is a rare possibility, it is usually better for an adult to handle the animal for the first few days to make sure that this type of behavior isn’t going to be a problem.

Guinea pigs love playing

Pets like their toys, and guinea pigs are no exception. However, they do get bored easily if they only have the same toys to play with over and over again, so it’s nice to give them a lot of variety.

There are some toys made just for guinea pigs, such as Bounce Back toys (you place a treat inside the toy and the cavy knocks it down to get to the treat, then it bounces right back up again). At only $6 or so, it’s an affordable purchase and most guinea pigs seem to like it.

Besides toys made just for guinea pigs, you’ll also find that many items designed for rabbits and ferrets can be enjoyed by your pet as well. Some guinea pigs also enjoy playing with cat and bird toys, but you must be cautious when using these items since they can be easily broken and swallowed by your pet.

Of course, you don’t have to go out to your local pet stores in order to gather toys for your guinea pig. Many items that you have lying around your house would also be perfect. Let me give you some examples:

• Paper - Guinea pigs love to chew on and play with any kind of paper, including the newspaper. If you do give them paper to play with, make sure it is as plain as possible since the cavies will probably be ingesting some of it.

• Cardboard spools – You know those spools inside your rolls of toilet paper and paper towels that you normally just throw away? Don’t throw them away any more. These are great toys for your guinea pigs.

• Old Clothing – Socks, towels, even small shirts can be added to your pet’s cage so that they can hide in them or use them as pillows.

• Small balls – While guinea pigs usually love those cat balls with the bell in the center, they aren’t the best toys for your pet. A tennis ball or ping pong ball will deliver the same fun but without the danger.

• Some children’s toys – Small stuffed animals, old-fashioned wooden blocks, and similar items can be passed down to your guinea pig for hours of amusement. Be sure to watch the guinea pig so that he or she doesn’t start eating the inside part of the stuffed animal which can be dangerous.

• PVC Tubing – If you have some old pieces of plumbing pipe around, you can put it into the cage. The guinea pig will usually hide under it or push it around the cage.

There are two things you should not allow your guinea pig to play with even though they are regularly sold in pet stores and may seem ideal for your pet: exercise wheels and balls.

While smaller versions of both of these are commonly enjoyed by hamsters, gerbils, and rats, the larger versions are not good for guinea pigs. Both can actually cause serious injuries to the cavy’s feet, legs, even back. Plus, the exercise balls have a habit of popping open which could give the guinea pig enough time to escape.

If you want to safely allow your guinea pig to get exercise while staying in a confined area, you are much better off purchasing a small pet playpen which you can set up in any room of your house, then covering the floor with newspaper, and allowing your pet to run around or to play with their ordinary toys inside of the fenced in area. Its much safer for the guinea pig.

photo credits

The substrate (sometimes called flooring) is the material used to line your dragon’s housing. In their native environment, Beardies live in sandy desert areas. Playground sand is often used because it is relatively dust free and easy to maintain, although there have been reports of intestinal impaction.

What substrate to use for a bearded dragon?

Substrates can also include wheat bran (pest free and rated for human consumption), outdoor carpeting, non-stick padded shelf liner, and paper towels. Other good substrates are newspaper, pea rock or aquarium gravel.

Be careful if you use any type of loose substrate when decorating, as many dragons will try to dig under their cage furnishings and can become trapped or crushed if furnishings are not wellplaced. Good substrate should be clean and safe. Be careful of substrates that could cause harm to your dragon.

Materials to Avoid

The following are bad for one main reason – impaction. A lot of stores may try and tell you that they are suitable, they may even be using them themselves, but they are wrong.

Each of the following has been proven to cause impaction and death to Bearded Dragons (as well as other reptiles) and should be avoided:

• Corn Cob: Hard, large and indigestible for Beardies.

• Walnut Shell: It looks harmless enough, but the edges are very sharp and it could kill your dragon very easily. There have been documented impaction deaths in Bearded Dragons from this.

Also goes under a variety of brand names, so check package labeling careful before listening to and buying from pet stores.

• Calcisand: The problem with this product is twofold. First, they like the flavor of it and may eat it if they are lacking adequate calcium in their diet. Second, it can clump and form an indigestible bolus in their digestive tract.

• Repti Bark: very fibrous and could easily end up causing impaction and has been known to end up lodged in the vent.

• Original lizard litter (made from the kenfa tree) and Jungle Blend.

Substrates such as mulch, shredded tree bark, or corn cob should not be used as they can hold moisture and promote bacterial growth.

Any of the wood shaving like cedar or pine should also be avoided – cedar had dangerous aromatic oils and pine can get impacted if ingested.

You should be also be very cautious using bleach on Dragon’s enclosure, the heat from their lights can cause toxic fumes from the bleach.

Substrates recommended to be used

There are several good substrates. The use of one or another depends of severall factors – like the age of the dragon(s), their numbers and others.

One very important tip: It is extremely important to make sure you never use sand in your beardy’ s cage until they are bigger then 6 inches in length – not including the tail.

All the best for you and your dragon(s).

photo credits

Training Guinea Pigs

Many people would be quick to call a guinea pig just another “dumb animal” but that’s actually not true. Of course, when compared to a human or a dog, guinea pigs aren’t going to astound you with their intellect, but they are much more intelligent than the average person gives them credit for, as any guinea pig owner knows quite well.

For example, if you feed your guinea pig fresh vegetables right out of the refrigerator, it won’t take long for him to equate the sound of the refrigerator opening and him getting a tasty treat. His squeals and whistles will tell you that he wants what you’ve got in there.

Obviously, guinea pigs are trainable. They can be taught to walk on a leash (these are available at most pet stores) or to go to the bathroom in a certain area. Some have even learned to come when their owners call their name!

Just like with any other animal, you must be willing to work consistently with your pet and to reward the desired behavior with treats, usually a favorite food. The guinea pig will then make the mental connection between the good feeling he gets from the reward and the behavior you want from him.

If you do plan on having your guinea pig on the floor a lot, then it may be a good idea to start litter training them early. You don’t want to set your expectations too high for this endeavor, however.

Guinea pigs will still go to the bathroom throughout their cage and will occasionally have accidents on the floor, but litter training them considerably reduces the liklihood that this will happen.

The easiest way to do this is to set aside part of their cage as a bathroom. A small litter pan (available at most pet stores) can be placed in one of the corners of the cage. In order to entice your guinea pig to use it as a bathroom, you should add in some of their waste to the litter when you clean out the cage. You should keep doing this each time you change the bedding in the cage.

When you let your guinea pig out on the floor, you should also place their litter pan on the ground with them. Most of the time they will use the pan to go to the bathroom. Even if your guinea pig does have an accident, it will most likely be poop, not urine, you’ll have to clean up and that is much, much easier to take care of.

You can also train your guinea pig to walk on a leash in a similar way. First, you must get him or her used to wearing the leash. Put it on them while you are petting them or hand-feeding them fresh vegetables so that they’ll connect the enjoyable activity with having the leash on.

Once your guinea pig feels comfortable with the leash, you can begin walking with him. Start off with small distances in the house, then gradually move outside. Just be careful not to pull or yank on the leash too hard, since guinea pigs are more fragile than dogs.

photo credit

How to groom a guinea pig

While most small animals don’t require much grooming, guinea pigs are different. Their teeth, hair, and nails all require some specific attention on a regular basis.

A guinea pig’s front teeth continue to grow throughout their entire life. If they are allowed to grow without any control, the guinea pig will find it painful to eat and will, therefore, stop eating altogether.

The best thing you can do is to provide your guinea pig with hard things to chew on: carrots and other hard vegetables, chew sticks or blocks, or even tree branches.

Even though you provide these materials, however, you will need to regularly check the guinea pig’s teeth to make sure they aren’t becoming unmanageable. Check to see if the teeth are turning inward because this is a sign of excessive growth.

If you do notice that your guinea pig’s teeth are getting too long, then you need to take him to a vet and get them trimmed down. Never try to trim a guinea pig’s teeth yourself! Your vet will have the proper tools and experience to safely trim the teeth to a normal length.

Another problem that sometimes arises with guinea pig’s teeth, particularly if they aren’t getting all of the vitamins they need in their diet, is that the tips of teeth may break off. This can also make it difficult for the guinea pig to eat. Take the cavy to your vet and feed him a softer diet until the tooth grows back properly.

Guinea pigs’ hair also needs to be taken care of regularly. Keep in mind that guinea pigs with longer hair are going to require more grooming than short-haired cavies.

For short-haired guinea pigs, you need to purchase a small brush and then use it on their hair at least once a week. The brushing serves several purposes. For one, it prevents their hair from matting up and tangling. It also removes any chunks of dirt that may become mixed up in the hair. Because their hair is short, you probably will never need to trim or cut it.

Long-haired guinea pigs are a different story. They need to be thoroughly brushed at least once per day every day. If you need to go out of town for even a couple of days, You will need to leave your long-haired guinea pig with someone who can brush it for you since it doesn’t take long for the hair to get terribly matted. In fact, even brushing it once per day won’t be enough to stop all the tangles from forming.

You will also need to do something with the hair when it gets too long since it grows another inch in length every month. If you plan on showing the guinea pig, You will need to wrap up the extra hair so that it doesn’t get caught up around the animal’s feet or mixed up in the urine and feces. Special wraps are available, but You will need to contact a breeder or guinea pig club to find out where to purchase them. If you don’t plan on showing your guinea pigs, You will need to trim your guinea pig’s hair every couple of months. Don’t cut the hair too short. You want it just short enough so that it won’t interfere with your guinea pig’s movement.

Regardless of the type of guinea pig you have, You will also want to do periodic inspections of its coat to check for lice. Lice are small white parasites that look like tiny worms. Guinea pigs often contract lice from hay and from other guinea pigs. If you do see lice on your guinea pig, you don’t have to be alarmed. Generally, the parasites will stay on the guinea pigs and will not jump onto your children or into your home. However, the lice do need to be treated promptly. Your vet should provide you with a shampoo that will kill the lice. Shampoo your guinea pigs and thoroughly clean their cages, then repeat seven days later. You must repeat the process because it takes a week for lice eggs to hatch and you want to make sure to kill any of those remaining babies.

Finally, your guinea pig’s nails need to be trimmed regularly also. While wild guinea pigs’ nails are naturally worn down to an appropriate length, this does not occur in caged guinea pigs. Lengthy nails can be painful to the guinea pig and to the people who handle him, plus they can break off or get snagged which can cause further injury to your cavy.

You should allow your vet or professional guinea pig groomer to show you how to clip their nails the first time because it is more complicated than trimming your fingernails. Like most animals, guinea pigs don’t like to be restrained. It makes them feel vulnerable, and they’ll resist as much as they can which makes trimming their nails difficult. Your vet will be able to show you ways to restrain the animal so you safely complete the trimming.

More importantly, the guinea pig’s nails contain blood vessels much like a dog’s. If you trim too short, You will cut into one of those vessels and your guinea pig will bleed profusely. When this happens you must stop the bleeding immediately! It won’t take long for your small pet to bleed to death if you do nothing. Many pet stores sell a powder that stops the bleeding quickly. You may want to ask your vet what he recommends.

If you’re worried about cutting your pet’s toenails too short, you may be better off trimming them just a little bit but more frequently.

Except for brushing the guinea pig’s hair, all other parts of the grooming process should be done by an adult, not a child. Clipping nails, trimming hair, and inspecting teeth should never be done by a child. The guinea pig could become nervous and could bite out of fear for their own safety. Or the child could make a mistake that could cause pain or injury to the guinea pig.

photo credits