Cold Weather Alert: Falling Iguanas Possible as South Florida Faces Freeze

Cold Weather Alert Falling Iguanas Possible as South Florida Faces Freeze
Image: Patch

WPBN: Even though there might not be a formal warning, you should be alert for any iguanas that seem to be dead or sleeping in the mornings that follow.

If guanas become immobile, they may fall off trees.

Beginning on Sunday, temperatures are predicted to drop below 50 degrees for the first part of the week.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that because they are not cold-hardy, iguanas often favor warmer areas. Since the pet trade brought them to Florida in the 1960s, they are not truly native to the state. Nevertheless, they have flourished in the wild and are now well-established in South Florida’s cities and suburbs.

Iguanas may get chilled, stunned, or motionless when temperatures are in the 40s for several hours of the night.

They can lose their hold and drop to the ground as a result.

Over the next several mornings, if you come across an iguana that seems dead, it’s probably not. The best course of action is to ignore them. When their body heats up again, they will begin to move.

According to the FWC, residents on private property may humanely kill green iguanas with permission from the proprietor because they are regarded as an invasive species.

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How should I handle a frozen iguana?

It’s best to leave the green reptiles alone, even though they might appear dead. Don’t bring them inside your house, though, as they will be resurrected and begin to move around as the temperature rises again.

According to the FWC, locals who come across a stunned iguana can also, if they are able, humanely kill the animal.

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