uncagged iguana and laying eggs

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tracie, My iguana is soon to be 4 years old, grew up with other girls never had a mate. I recently read that they can still lay eggs!! In you rexperience, what is the best way to help an iguana lay eggs if she has been uncaged for over 6 months. I am afraid she will become ill if I dont do something sooner than later. I have read about the thrash can w/ damp soil/sand. I just wonder if she will go for it. Any suggestions?

ANSWER: Hello Angi,

Does your iguana have eggs that you know of?  Yes, they can lay infertile eggs without ever being mated.  Since she was with other females, it does spark their hormones most of the time to become cyclic & lay eggs.  
Definitely go ahead & make a lay box as soon as possible to help avoid her retaining eggs, if indeed she does have some.  
Most people use large rubbermaid or large tupperware bins with 12-24 inches of damp soil/sand, etc in there.  The substrate needs to be deep enough to where she can actually burrow herself into it if she desires to & it wont cave in on her.  So, make sure the substrate is damp but not sopping wet.  Just enough to hold up to a good burrow for her.  
Also, it usually helps if there is a heat lamp or something over it if she is using it to help keep her a little warm which can assist in egg laying, too.
Are you using a good UVB light right now, & calcium supplementation?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Honestly, no UVB lighting since she never wants to be in her tank. She spends most of her time on the curtain rod, and goes down to the window sill for sun. Should put her back in her cage? Idid read somewhere that the sunlight should not be filtered by glass. I stopped feeding calcium supplements years ago, but now that you have reminded me I will buy some today.

I really appreciate your time on this

ANSWER: Hello Angi,

Well, unfortunately, glass filters pretty much all UVB so, I highly recommend getting a UVB for her otherwise, she could begin to develop metabolic bone disease.  The Reptisun 10 tube bulb is the best one, other than a Mercury vapor bulb.  Right now, there have been some problems with the mercury bulbs but some have been fixed.  The Megaray is a pretty good one, but the 100 watt needs to be 14 inches from her, for safety since they have had to modify their bulb recently.  The Zoomed Powersun is an ok one, too.
The calcium should be given at least 3 times a week.  If she has eggs, she needs it 5 times per week.  This is extremely important.  If she is low in calcium, she could become egg bound.  If you give calcium, without her having any UVB exposure, she wont be able to absorb calcium properly.
If you want to let her free roam, she needs at least 6 hours of UVB & heating for the day & then you can let her run around.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok got it. I will make all of these changes today. I never did answer your question about the eggs. I dont see any eggs and while soaking her the other day i was rubbing her tummy and it did not seem irregularly full. BUT I will still get her squared away with a rubbermaid bin w/ damp soil to burrow herself in along w/ all the other changes. I think best thing for me to do right now is to take her in for a check-up thanks again we really appreciate your help :)

Answer
Hello Angi,

Yes, it is best to have things ready or at least half ways prepared, just in case she does decide to develop eggs.  Not all females develop & lay eggs, so, maybe you will be lucky & she wont lay any eggs at all which would save you a lot of worrying as a iggy mother.  :-))
Do you have a picture of her?


Tracie