need tips on an outdoor iggy cage

[Drax]

hey all
i've recently put my iggy's cage on our back deck so he can soak up some sun. i've put a piece of plywood over the top of the cage so he can have shade and a sunny section. i found some big logs on the side of the road that i'm gonna put in my iguana's cage. the smallest one is about 3 feet long so putting it in my oven is out of the question. should i just scrub them down with bleach and water? also there's some of the bark left on them should i leave it on or remove it so stuff can't get in there and hide?

oh and my mom noticed that he was sitting in his tank with his mouth open at the hottest part of the day. is this normal? just going on general knowledge i know crodilians exhibit this behavior to soak up heat, so i figure an iguana does as well. something else i've noticed is that today he seems awfully pale. he's almost a white-green not his normal green.

also any suggestions on the setup and shading for his cage would be greatly appreciated. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
[addsig]

[eddie]

Got a tree in the yard?
It would be good to go under there for the natural shade and should still get plenty warm for basking.
They will get UV even in the shade as it is reflected from everywhere.
just provide plenty of water and watch the weather and such, especially the night time drops in temp.
So far the humidity has been great outside so just an occassional misting will be needed

As for the color change, it could be shed, hard to say without seeing it.
[addsig]

[Drax]

thanks eddie. i know it gets pretty hot out on the deck and i think i do have to move him to a cooler place. we do have a lot of trees in the back yard but i'm just afraid that a squirrel or a snake or something will get in there and annoy him. how our back yard is set up is that there's the yard and then a tree line. and that is a fairly wild area with lots of undergrowth and small mammals and stuff running around.


[addsig]

[Ed_r]

I'd be wary of it getting mites and ticks from staying outside
[addsig]

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks