if your new iggy is 10 1/2 years old, you have an animal that is getting up there age wise. He is most likely very, very stressed. Especially if he had lived at his previous owners home for most of hi likfe before.

Igs are animals of habit, more so than most humans, i would think. They usually have basking schedules, eating schedules (if i dont have sunshines dinner out on time she followes me around the house , usually trying to eat everything that is green and orange on the floor, until i give her food), bathing and pooping schedules, and even bed times. By giving this iggy away, his humans have disrupted his life quite a bit. And although he still has his cage, the sights and smells of your home are very different.

By hiding on the floor of his cage and keeping hhis eyes closed, it is his way of saying 'you cant see me im not here'. Igs have a strange way of using their body language that way. He is also probably trying to be submissive. Iguanas in a group always have a type of pecking order that they follow. There is an alpha male that the others 'bow down to'. the other animals in the group will sometimes vie for that position by fighting,and sometimes winning, but until then, they show submissive tendiencies such as head bowing and closeing their eyes to say that they are no threat to the dominant male. Your iguana is probably trying to show that he is no threat to any dominant animals that are in his new area.

So, try to put y ourself in his place, while keeping an iggy mindset about things. He has just had a major upheaval in his life. He has spent his entire life in a familiar place, with familiar people. Probably with a standard (ish) diet. His schedules and routines are all out of wack, and the new sights and sounds are pretty scary. Try keeping his diet the same (unless they were feeding him spinach and iceberg lettuce--which if hes 10 years old they probably wern't), keep his lighting schedules the same too. Keep him on the same schedulse, if any, that he was on at his old home. If youre not sure about these, contact his prior family. Keep activities fairly routine, and change them gradually if need be.

Putting this in perspective, how would you feel if you lifed in the same place for 60% of your life, then was moved to finland without notice. it would probably be pretty scary, huh?

hope this helps. good luck!

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