29-01-2025
Do iguanas really fall from trees in Florida when it's cold? Yes, and we have video evidence
But seriously, do massive lizards really just fall out of the trees in South Florida when it gets cold?
Yes, and you can watch it happen in a video taken by Avrohom Eliezer Friedman in North Miami Beach on Wednesday, Jan. 22, when a freak winter storm drove temps down across the Sunshine State. A bright green iguana can be seen plummeting from a tree to land on a backyard concrete slab and lie there, stunned.
The lizard slowly walked away the next morning, a resident said.
Green iguanas are an invasive species originally introduced from warmer climates in Central and South America, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). They live on the ground, in shrubs or in trees anywhere, including suburban developments and urban areas. And they don't handle cold well.
"When temps dip to near freezing, nonnative green iguanas can temporarily lose all muscle control, sometimes even falling out of trees," the FWC said in a social media post last week.
They don't actually die and they don't freeze solid, but when temperatures drop far enough, iguanas become immobilized. And if they were sleeping in a tree, they may lose their grip and drop to the ground.
Like all cold-blooded animals, iguanas can't generate their own heat so as the surrounding temperatures drop, so does theirs. They survive cold weather by slowing down their blood flow, circulation and heart rate.
But the paralysis is temporary most of the time. When the temperatures rise again, the stunned iguanas will usually get up and resume their business.
Most lizards in South Florida, originally introduced from warmer climates in Central and South America, start getting sluggish when temperatures dip below about 50 degrees and they start falling over around 40 degrees or lower.
Generally, if you find a stunned iguana, just leave it alone. Green iguanas, which can grow to over 5 feet long and weigh up to 17 pounds, will usually come back on their own once the weather warms up and they can become aggressive, biting and scratching to get away.
'Iguanas are wild animals, and once they recover and warm up, they could act defensively. Iguanas have sharp teeth, claws and a long tail that they may use to protect themselves when acting defensively which can potentially be a safety risk,' said Sarah Funck, nonnative fish and wildlife program coordinator for the FWC.
It is illegal to possess a live green iguana in Florida without a permit. In fact, the FWC recommends killing them humanely or calling a professional pest control or wildlife trapper to help. Green iguanas are not protected in Florida, except by anti-cruelty laws, and may be killed on private property with the owner's permission or on the 25 FWC-managed public lands without a license or permit.
If you already have a pet iguana you can no longer care for, do not release it into the wild (it's illegal). The FWC has an Exotic Pet Amnesty Program where you can surrender them, no questions asked, and they will be adopted to new owners who have been pre-qualified and have the required permits.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Frozen iguana spotted falling from tree in Florida, watch video
