When temperatures drop to near 40 degrees, iguanas become immobile and lose their grips in trees, thus making them fall to the ground like a wet sack of concrete.
Iguanas typically lie motionless on the ground where they land. Although they may look lifeless, they’re actually still alive. Once their bodies reheat, the iguanas usually regain their strength and get back to normal life.
An Artic blast has begun working its way across the United States and is expected to bring unseasonably cold temperatures to the Sunshine State this weekend.
Temperatures in Orlando, centrally located in the state, are expected to be near freezing for Christmas. Further south in towns like Fort Myers, Miami and Key Largo, where iguanas are more abundant, temperatures are forecast to get into the 40s, perhaps the 30s in some places.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says iguanas are not native to Florida, but rather countries along the equator in Central and South America, and that they are considered invasive because of their impact on native wildlife. Sudden temperature drops can bring sudden paralyzing effects to them. When the temperature begins dropping, they usually climb into trees so they can fall onto the ground or passing cars.
Iguanas are not protected by Florida law, with the exception of anti-cruelty laws. They can be killed humanely on private land but only with the landowner’s permission.
This calendar year has been particularly colder in South Florida than most years, including last winter’s months of January and February of 2022.
On January 21 this year, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a warning to watch for falling iguanas. Temperatures all the way down in Key West dropped into the 40’s during that cold snap and into the 30’s in towns like Marathon, Tavernier and Key Largo.
Key West is only forecast to get down to 55 degrees this weekend, but towns northward can hit the lower 40’s, according to local weather reports.
The current winter storm is expected to plummet temperatures all across the country this weekend, with freeze warnings as far south as Texas, Louisiana and the Deep South, including the Florida panhandle.
Some places like Dallas are expected to have wind chills below zero this weekend, while cities farther north could face wind chills at 60-below zero. The storm is forecast to make a white swath into the entire east coast.
