Florida residents warned to prepare for falling iguanas amid temperature drop
Once the temperature drops below the mid-40s, iguanas go into a dormant or cold-stunned state and sometimes fall out of trees where they perch.
The southern U.S. is getting hit with a cold snap due to a winter storm. Tracy Fox of the American Red Cross provides safety tips on how to deal with frigid weather, especially during power outages.
As residents across the Gulf Coast and Southeast experience significant drops in temperatures, experts say there's a chance iguanas could drop from trees.
Through at least Jan. 12, widespread temperatures 12-25 degrees Fahrenheit below typical of early January are projected to expand across much of the central and eastern United States.
"Should the cold wave evolve to its full potential, maximum temperature departures could plunge 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit below the historical average from the northern Plains and Midwest to the interior Southeast through the first two weeks of January," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.
The Arctic air making its way across Florida brought highs in the 50s Tuesday. On Wednesday, many woke up to lows in the lower 40s and high 30s, marking a dramatic shift for the region.
This sudden cold snap brings with it an unusual hazard: cold-stunned iguanas falling from trees. These cold-blooded reptiles become immobile and can lose their grip on branches when temperatures drop below their tolerance threshold. Meteorologist Amy Metz shared a photo of an iguana spotted Friday morning.
Green iguanas, introduced to Florida decades ago from Central and South America, are not adapted to temperatures below 45 F and generally begin to get sluggish or lethargic once the temperature drops below 50 F. Once the temperature drops below the mid-40s, iguanas go into a dormant or cold-stunned state and sometimes fall out of trees where they go to sleep. They appear to be dead, but they are not. They remain breathing with critical body functions still operating.
Inland areas such as Orlando or Tampa have fallen below that critical 45-degree mark. Orlando fell to 39 F Wednesday night, and Tampa plummeted to 38 F Wednesday night and 40 F on Thursday night.
“When it gets cold like this, it’s funny to those who aren’t from here to see the news people talking about iguanas falling from trees, but it can and will happen,” said Joe Wasilewski, a conservation biologist and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Iguana Specialist Group told Patch.
When fully grown, iguanas can be up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 25 pounds. Such large lizards falling from trees can cause injury to unaware humans who don't normally prepare for raining reptiles.
A cold stunned iguana waits to warm up in Dreher Park after temperatures dropped on Jan. 22, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
While the sight of an iguana on the ground can seem bizarre, experts advise against moving them. The best thing to do is just leave them alone. The iguanas will typically recover when temperatures rise back to around 50 F. However, prolonged extreme cold can be fatal for the reptiles.
Michael Ronquillo, a professional iguana remover and owner of Humane Iguana Control, has been dealing with iguanas during cold snaps for years. "They climb the trees to go to sleep but once they’re up there, they get so cold that they lose grip on where they’re at and they start falling from the trees," he told NBC 6 in South Florida.
Ronquillo, who says he has removed iguanas as large as 6 feet long and weighing 25 pounds, warns that falling iguanas can be dangerous. “Imagine, you come here early in the morning to walk your pets and you’re not aware there are iguanas up there. They can fall on you, on roofs, on cars,” he said.
An iguana falls from a tree in southern Florida as an unseasonable cold snap enveloped the Sunshine State on Tuesday night into Wednesday. (WPLG / ABC Newsone)
Ronquillo advises residents to take preventative measures such as wrapping trees, which makes them difficult to climb, and trimming branches away from properties. He also warns against handling cold-stunned iguanas because they can become defensive once they warm up and regain mobility.
"Iguanas are not viewed favorably by South Floridians; however, they're not aggressive and don't attack or harm humans or pets, so people generally view them more as pests than a real threat," Robert Molleda, a warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS in Miami, told AccuWeather. "However, their droppings can contain the salmonella bacteria."
For more information and tips on how to handle iguana-related issues, check out Ronquillo’s expert guide on iguana control.
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