Iguanas falling in Florida? Cold temperatures could lead to a weird Christmas
Although there’s virtually no chance of having a white Christmas in the Sunshine State this year, the forecast calls for green.
Near-freezing temperatures caused by wind chills predicted for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Florida could immobilize green iguanas and cause them to fall from trees. The lizards begin to become sluggish in temperatures below 50 degrees and have been known to “freeze” when temperatures dip into the 30s and 40s, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Wind chill from a storm expected to hit the northeastern United States over Christmas could drop the “true” temperature by 30 seconds, according to Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
National Weather Service stations in Florida have previously issued unofficial “iguana fall” advisories to warn residents of the threat of severe cold and inform them that any lizards they may find on the ground are usually temporarily immobilized, not dead.
Why Do Florida Iguanas Fall From Trees When It’s Cold?
Green iguanas, which are not native to Florida, are not able to tolerate sustained cold temperatures that sometimes come with winter in the state, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Temperatures near freezing or freezing can cause iguanas to stop muscle control. They recover fairly quickly as temperatures rise – although sustained cold temperatures can kill the lizards, according to the commission.
The phenomenon last occurred in January, when the season’s coldest temperatures in Florida led to a flurry of reports of immobilized iguanas being found on sidewalks, driveways and under trees.
Has Florida issued an iguana fall warning?
The National Weather Service does not issue official “iguana fall” warnings, according to Hadi. The organization has shared informal warnings on social media when conditions are expected to cause the lizards to stiffen.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Thursday shared his own warning for ‘icy and invasive iguanas’ ahead of the holiday weekend, and Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zach Covey in Orlando shared an ‘Iguana Watch’ Wednesday social media alert for central and south Florida – a message he specified is not a government advisory but a “light weather alert”.
What to do if you encounter a frozen iguana?
Green iguanas are listed as an invasive species by the commission, which cites the damage they cause to levees, sidewalks and plants, but the lizards are protected by anti-cruelty laws to ensure they are humanely killed.
The commission advises owners to humanely kill iguanas or contact a pest control professional or wildlife trapper for assistance. According to the commission, residents should not bring iguanas inside homes or cars to warm them, as they could pose a safety risk when acting defensively. It is also illegal to own a live green iguana without a license in Florida.
Male green iguanas can grow to over 5 feet in length and weigh up to 17 pounds. Females reach similar lengths but generally do not exceed 7 pounds, according to the commission.
Iguanas and other lizards have also caused problems in Florida this year, causing major power outages. In Lake Worth Beach, they are the leading animal cause of outages, resulting in 30 extended power outages — defined as an outage lasting more than a minute — in 2022, according to Lake Worth Beach utility manager Ed Liberty.
Contributed by: The Palm Beach Post
Dig deeper
USA Today
