So, a bit of news on the lizards; fact is, not a whole lot to report on them, but some stuff to report nonetheless which is going to be long-form in order to explain as much as I can.
I'd mentioned on Christmas Eve that I'd received a bunch of stuff for them, including new "lights" (really heaters), feeders, and substrate. The new heaters (for LeChuck), I moved some stuff around, got everything KINDA set up, though I'm not really happy with how things are laid out for the moment; I did receive something today that I'm HOPING will help with that, but I'm not holding my breath.
Basically, the fundamental problem is LeChuck's current enclosure, and what all I presently have for it. As effectively a "40-gallon breeder" sized enclosure, while it's got a bit more front-to-back depth than Coquelicot's current 55-gallon tank--the former has a depth of 18 inches, while the latter is only ~12--its width is about a foot shorter, and its height is also reduced (from ~24 inches to 18); this latter element is good for heating, as he really does require a warmer enclosure than room temperature by quite a bit, but it's bad for his arboreal nature. And the problem with the heating elements is really a result of the former; since the surface area on top of the tank is so relatively limited--even though there's more front-to-back depth and thus the square footage is actually slightly larger, it still loses a foot of length--it's a challenge to fit everything within that space, and more so to create a proper basking SPOT, for example.
A big part of that is unfortunately part of how I decided to approach this. One item I'd gotten a little bit ago for this purpose is a mercury vapor bulb, designed to provide UVB (and UVA), light, and heat. This bulb is fantastic; it does exactly what I needed it to do, and by itself provides ALMOST enough heat to work, but not quite enough. The problem is, this bulb is fairly large (as most mercury vapor bulbs are); I believe, assuming the assumptions I'm making from their website are correct, that the bulb is 185mm long (~7.25 inches), and 125mm in diameter (~4.9 inches). This is JUST narrow enough to fit in the fixture I'd intended for it, a Zoo-Med "Mini Deep Dome" left over from Colombina's original temp tank, but long enough that, resting the fixture on top of the tank (as I had been and still am), it was actually sitting on the front surface of the bulb, definitely not good. While it does fit in standard wire-cage fixtures, and indeed does have its own in-built reflector, I'd wanted to keep it in a reflector fixture, just to be sure all the benefit of using this bulb was being utilized; the smallest unit that could safely do so was the Exo-Terra Reptile Dome Large, both because of the depth necessary and the wattage of the bulb (100W). This dome is eight inches across, which obviously is plenty sufficient for the bulb, but does take up a good amount of real estate, more than any of my other light fixtures (aside from perhaps the linear fixtures). And, since this bulb was obtained for the purposes of setting up an initial basking spot, obviously that reduces the usefulness of additional heaters, which ARE unfortunately necessary.
Now, all that having been said, that was really just the set-up to explain what I was trying to do, and then my hypotheses on what's happening now. Keep in mind, THAT bulb arrived 29 November and was put into service basically immediately. The new heater elements had arrived this Monday (23 December), and while they weren't put in place immediately, I did install them that day. And I should also say, I said "them", but I actually only installed one--an 80W deep heat projector, which took the place of a 100W ceramic heater element that had been over the basking spot that just wasn't doing what it needed to do to get the spot warmed up. This element was then relocated to the cooler side of the tank, as frankly the whole tank needed to be warmed up quite a bit and this seemed to do the trick.
Fact is, the first day, LeChuck was quite active, more so than he'd been in some time; however, he did dip back into the hide rather frequently, surprisingly frequently actually. One item I'd noticed was, the temperature probe I'd relocated to be more akin to the actual basking spot, had fallen from the wall (it's secured in place with a somewhat flimsy suction cup, which I've never had much success with); this probe, controlling the dimming outlet for heat, was controlling the output of that deep heat projector.
For those who don't know, a deep heat projector is a specially-designed bulb that produces absolutely no visible light, but rather outputs light in the infrared spectrum; this particular unit's band includes near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR), sometimes referred to as IR-A and IR-B respectively (primarily in Europe, as it's a German naming scheme). This best approximates infrared radiation from the sun, as the atmosphere absorbs both mid-wave (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR, the two combined sometimes called IR-C); it is actually this absorption that we humans feel on warm, sunny days, as our bodies radiate at around 9 microns, in the LWIR range, meaning we can't feel NIR or SWIR as radiative. (We DO feel NIR though, as this band actually penetrates into the body a short way; this is actually why these bulbs are called deep heat projectors!) NIR and SWIR are then absorbed by the earth, and re-radiated as MWIR and LWIR.
Because NIR and SWIR are not absorbed by the atmosphere, they are not actually "felt" by a standard temperature probe, as they don't heat the air; rather, they heat surfaces, which then heat the air around them. So, when that probe fell off the back wall and landed on the basking spot, it was suddenly reading heat directly from that surface, and since I'd already compensated for this heat "loss" for the earlier position of the probe, it was basically reporting that the location was now TOO hot, cutting off all power to the deep heat projector (since the aforementioned mercury vapor bulb was QUITE able to heat that surface to this compensated temperature on its own). This, I'd assumed, was the reason LeChuck was retreating to his hide so frequently, that now his basking spot was actually COOLER than it had been before. (But he'd been more active overall because the overall temperature of the tank itself was warmer, thanks to having relocated that ceramic heater.)
So, I put the probe back on the back wall about where I'd had it before, and the next day it stuck; however, that day, while LeChuck absolutely did come out to bask in the morning as he usually does (at an earlier time, even), he retreated to the hide QUITE frequently, and was staying in there for longer. That first day I'd chalked it up to, I'd accidentally woken up a bit earlier than usual, and he really just didn't want to deal with me; the next day however, today, it happened again, and I deliberately stayed in bed for longer because I'd grown quite tired over the last few days due to this early-waking stuff. He did come out fairly frequently, even came out and got some food while I watched after I *had* gotten up, but then immediately went back into the hide. At this point, I figured something was up; this was more akin to his behavior from before, where he'd either just lounge lethargically in his basking spot all day (which at least would've been more helpful, since I knew he was getting UV and heat) or stay in his hide.
Fact is, the temperature of his basking spot IS where it ought to be with the temperature probe set where it was, both physically and in software at its temp limit, and I know this because I've been reading it with an IR temp gun. (Inside the tank, because glass blocks IR pretty effectively.) It's perhaps a TOUCH high, but still well within the expected range of a basking spot for a green iguana. While the temperature gradient throughout the tank isn't EXACTLY set up how it ought to be--there's a bit of a cooler spot in the middle, so it's not a great linear gradient--it's still all well within expected temps, both during the day and overnight. While it's possible he's hiding from the heat, I genuinely don't think he is; frankly, I think the heat is where it's supposed to have been for the first time EVER since he came here, and that's reflected in his overall activity increase. His body posture has been alert and attentive, quite healthy, again more so than he'd ever been since I'd gotten him. He's still got a somewhat odd gait, but I'm pretty sure that's just kinda normal for this species; as I'd said before, they're truly SUPPOSED to be arboreal, and as such, walking along the ground is just kinda awkward for them. Overall, his posture, behavior (save for retreating to the hide), and general activity are actually quite healthy! Poops had always been well-formed, but I do still check them, and even today he had a well-formed poop, with signs of good health (no undigested food, for example), including sufficient hydration (bright white urate, which in iguanas is also excreted as liquid "pee" primarily, alongside poops). So, nothing appears PHYSICALLY wrong.
As such, I've formed two hypotheses, the first of which I suspect more than the other.
1. As noted before, LeChuck only just recently noticed Colombina. While she's housed in an entirely separate enclosure, that enclosure IS immediately-adjacent to his, and his behavior has shown that he does perceive her as a potential threat. His activity has not been TERRIBLY aggressive; he's flashed his dewlap at her a couple times (primarily in that video I shared the other day) and occasionally tried to climb over the glass "wall" toward her, but the most common behavior he's shown has been to simply watch her, when he notices her at least. This perceived "threat" may be stressing him out, and as a result he's been retreating to his hide to avoid it altogether. This would match his behavior when he perceived ME as a threat (which he still does, but at least recognizes that neither I nor the cats are going to get him through the glass). As such, I COULD expect him to calm down after enough time, recognizing that Colombina can neither get to his enclosure, nor poses any threat to him or his territory in any way; this MIGHT take a bit though, as she really doesn't move all that frequently, and is pretty slow when she does (as all chameleons are), meaning it's only in his head when he NOTICES her moving, which isn't terribly frequently. In the interim--or rather, in lieu of that--I could attempt to take action by putting something up between their enclosures to block his view, which would probably take his mind off it and might even get him to calm down. Gonna see what I can find around the house that won't then increase his own reflection (which could cause him to freak out more, especially if he's actively looking for that threat; this is actually what happened with one of my bettas), probably try to put it up tonight while everyone's asleep.
2. This item seems less likely given the overall timeline, but it's certainly still possible: It's possible that, now that LeChuck is receiving sufficient heat, he's actually retreating from the UV. While I've checked the UV exposures in his tank with a sensor (though I do want to check them again, which I'll talk about), there's one element of his being that has not been taken into account in basically any of the care guides, references, etc.: He's amelanistic. (What many would call, and indeed how he was sold, "albino", though technically not, as his scales do contain pigment. Just, no melanin.) In all animals where it's found (and some plants even), melanin serves to protect the body from UV exposure; as a result, amelanistic animals--and albino animals as well, as a result--actually suffer from standard solar UV exposure. (Albino humans, for example, generally take parasols if they have to be outside, especially as one gets closer to the tropics.) As a result, they feel more heat from UV exposure (or at least mammals do, not sure about reptiles), and experience that exposure more harshly overall, especially in their eyes (since melanin also helps shield vision, particularly in those with darker-colored eyes like brown or hazel--which, iguanas do have darker eyes, since they ARE from the tropics). He may not have considered it as big a problem as not getting enough heat before, and so had been putting up with it, but once the heat was where it needed to be for him to FEEL healthy, that suddenly became his primary concern. The reason I don't think this is the (primary) case is, the primary source of UV in his enclosure is the linear bulb, which is actually specced DOWN from what's recommended for green iguanas; however, the UV source for his basking spot is that aforementioned mercury vapor bulb, and... it's actually somewhat likely it's providing too much. Looking at the manufacturer's recommendations, I may have his basking spot too close, and it's possible the UV he's getting as a result may actually be uncomfortable for him. This would actually be solved by the very item I'd obtained to deal with the space issue--a light hook, which would then lift the fixture and suspend it from a safer height, resulting in both the possibility of sliding that deep heat projector in slightly underneath, and a better UV exposure. If the aforementioned method of blocking his view to Colombina doesn't improve his overall "hiding" behavior, this very well might (and I was planning to do it anyway).
Now, all of that is just talking about LeChuck's CURRENT setup, which was always ever going to be temporary itself; I'm just trying to be sure he's as comfortable as possible DURING that temporary period.
In the meantime, the framework for the new, more-permanent enclosure should be getting here tomorrow; I believe the hardware (fasteners and whatnot) will likely not be here until Monday or Tuesday unfortunately, but this will still allow me to best lay out WHERE this is going to go, and what all I'll need to move in order to maintain flow through the living room. I did also do some more research, and determined that, oddly enough, the best material to use for at least the substrate tray would actually be acrylic; pound-for-pound, it's the strongest easily-obtainable material (there are stronger plastics, and it's pretty likely the same thickness of tempered glass would be plenty strong as well, but the former are HELLA expensive and the latter, in addition to being impossible for me to cut and/or drill to fit, I don't want to test in-situ), and it's actually cheaper than most every other possible candidate as well. (That's not to say it's cheap. Just that tray is likely to cost me several hundred dollars, for the amount I'll need.) It's also more scratch-resistant than polycarbonate (which, I'd thought was the other way around), and doesn't deform nearly as readily. So, that's probably gonna be my material of choice for the substrate tray, at least.
For the rest of the enclosure, I'd originally intended to use clear polycarbonate, but given its ease of scratching, that won't be a good choice for an iguana enclosure; while acrylic is more scratch-resistant (and can be polished), it does still scratch fairly easily. So, I might have to go with tempered glass for the rest of the enclosure. It's... certainly expensive, more so than acrylic OR polycarbonate, but not as much as the aforementioned strong plastic options (which aren't transparent anyway); however, given the current requirements, I think it's what I'm gonna have to go with, at least for the sides. (The top, I'm probably gonna go with expanded metal mesh, as it should be plenty strong.) The one piece I'm undecided on then would be the various shelves, which are undecided largely because frankly I'm not sure if they should be transparent or not. Kinda thinking not, but having SOME light able to trickle down to the bottom of the enclosure on those sides would certainly be beneficial. As stated before, green iguanas are primarily arboreal; in addition to climbing trees, they tend to bask in the wild by sitting atop those trees, meaning having something more naturalistic to THAT would likely be best. I'm just not sure how best to approach that particular problem just yet.
As for Colombina, she did get the added substrate; while we're ALMOST there, I do think I need to get one more bag of the stuff. Still, it was close enough that I did plant the plants I'd intended to put in the "ground", and gave her a bit of a bioactive "clean-up" crew. Once we fill in the rest of the substrate, it'll then be covered in leaves and sphagnum moss, for the benefit of that said clean-up crew, but also to try to keep the humidity up. (And as an added cushion in case Colombina falls. And also because, if she decides to dig a nest to lay eggs, it'll help with that too.) In the meantime, I've got some things arriving next week I want to try for securing stuff to the glass sides of the enclosure; don't REALLY have high hopes, but they were on sale, so I figured I'd give 'em a shot. (They're designed for use in bathrooms anyway, for hanging stuff on the wall of a tub surround. So maybe it'll actually work.) And unfortunately that's gonna be kind of a big concern, since some of her feeders have discovered that the containers housing the plants intended to be hung along the sides of the enclosure are GREAT hiding spots. (As has the clean-up crew, meaning they aren't actually, y'know, doing any clean-up. Just hiding.)
Colombina did leave a nice, BIG poop right smack in the middle of the floor today, quite healthy-looking, so I may collect that and put it in the fridge for the expected fecal analysis when I take LeChuck and Coquelicot in for their second Ivermectin doses on Monday. (Or I may wait. The timing is perfect in terms of her last dose, but they may need something fresher. I guess it depends on how well it keeps in the fridge, in a zipper baggie.)
Coquelicot's poops have been improving! They're still not QUITE where they ought to be, kind of a lot of not-fully-digested bug parts visible in them, but they're nicely-formed at least, not blobby or diarrheal at all. (I might think the undigested bits mean she's not getting enough heat, but at least from my own measurements, she SHOULD be.) So, fingers crossed that this final Ivermectin dose will clear her up completely. I HAVE been trying to clean up her poops when they happen, but she still does favor her basking area for that; I don't like disturbing her too much, especially since she poops ABOUT once a day. But on the plus side, given their consistency, she's not been getting it all over herself or smearing it around the tank, meaning it's been kept relatively-well away from her food, the primary concern (since re-consumption is how it stays in the system after such stringent medicine regimens). But, she's definitely improving, both in poops and in behavior (and a bit in body, since she's losing a bit of that "bloat" she had).
I... think that's everything? Coquelicot and Colombina did both get mealworms (and a hornworm each) for Christmas, which they appreciated.