It’s so cold in Florida that iguanas fall out of trees
- Low temperatures stun the invasive reptiles, but the iguanas won’t necessarily die
Green iguanas are considered a nuisance in Florida, where they are blamed for causing considerable damage to everything from sea walls to pavements – not to mention menacing endangered butterflies and snails.
But the invasive species may have met their match in an unusual cold snap which sent thermometers plummeting in Florida, rendering the cold-blooded reptiles paralysed.
“This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr,” tweeted the National Weather Service in Miami. That is between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius.
Such conditions are unusual in the normally balmy US state, where winter temperatures typically don’t fall below 18 degrees Celsius or so.
Many people don’t have the proper heating at home or clothing to cope with the freezing temperatures – something also true of the state’s animals.
An infographic attached to the tweet added that although the cold-stunned creatures may appear to have met their end, “they are not dead”.