Neo's Blog

Neo is still getting ready to lay her eggs. The other day, I was about to leave for work, when she decided that she really wanted to come out to have a wander around, as I opened the door to put her food in. I let her out for a minute, to have a quick explore of the hall. As I went to pick her up to put her back in, once I had placed her food inside her vivarium, she decided that no way was she going to go back inside THAT soon... so she made a dash for the stairs, ran up them, and positioned herself on the landing on full display: standing up as tall as she could get on all four tip toes, puffed up, dewlap extended and tail swept backwards ready to whip

I think she is used to doing pretty much what SHE likes (within reason, of course!! ) and normally, she is allowed to wander about if she wants to. Although, today, she did not understand that I was getting a little bit late for work...

I did feel sorry for her - I'd love to have let her have some freedom that morning, but unfortuately nobody else was around to supervise her... so she definitely could not stay out, even if she wanted to!

She flipped my wrist with her tail twice in succession as I stuck my hand out towards her in a peace offering. She is surprisingly accurate with her 'whip'... I should have called her 'Indiana'!!! Naughty little iguana girl... I sat down next to her, she lowered herself back to 'normal' standing level, even though her dewlap was still extended. She stopped trying to whip me, and I placed my hand firmly, but gently, on top of her head, and pushed her head slowly down to ground level, holding it there for about three seconds. I took my hand away. She raised her head up again slowly, though not as high this time, and showed her submission by chomping her mouth a little bit, and tongue-flicking her surroundings and my hand. Competition won, I scooped her up without even so much as a struggle, and carried her on my shoulder back down to her vivarium, and placed her on her log. Poor Neo... but she has to learn who is 'top iguana' around here! Alpha iguanas can be dangerous...

When I got home from work, Neo could come out and wander around properly! She enjoyed every second of it She puts herself back 'home' when she's had enough... well, usually anyway... A couple of evenings later, she decided it would be more comfortable to 'hide' away and sleep in my sister's bed, rather than her own!


No Neo, it's not working... I can still see your tail!


Nope, really... I can still see you!


Neo saying: 'Oh really... well, then just go away. I don't care if you can see me or not!'

I think her attempting to hide like this has something to do with her egg-laying time. She tends to try and 'hide' more at this time of year, I find. She has turned up in the most ridiculous of places... Last year she managed to squeeze under a bed... open a partially closed wardrobe door and climb up the clothes inside (it was mine - and happened while I was away for three weeks in Canada!! ) and crept into my bed under the duvet. This year so far, she has climbed right up to the top of the curtains in the lounge and wedged herself between them and the frill at the top! (To be fair, mum had walked into the room just before that and shouted 'Where has that iguana gone?' so I think poor Neo got a little bit scared by that... mum not being her most favourite person and all... ...plus she had not seen Neo already half way up the curtains at that point!! ) You really have to keep a very close eye on Neo during these times. Either that, or be extremely good at playing hide-and-seek. (And leaving windows and doors open is definately not an option!!! )

Neo will find a place to hide when it begins to get dark outside as well though, at any time of year, but particularly if she is not in her vivarium. Usually, the first step is to climb up anything that is vertical...

Tonight, she decided that the best place to sleep was wrapped around my neck and shoulders She hasn't done that in a long time! She was wandering around the lounge, and had a choice of climbing on: the back of the sofa, walking around the corner to her vivarium, or me... Awww, I am flattered She stayed there for about two hours, whilst I watched t.v. and chatted to my sister on the phone. I had to put her back in her viv because I couldn't finish cooking my dinner whilst she was there... and when I did so, she clung on to her towel that is in her viv, with a rather shocked look about her, as if saying 'What happened? Where am I now? How did I get here?!?' ...before quickly falling back to sleep, still gripping tightly onto her towel I often wonder if she would sleep on me all night if I let her!