Florida Temperatures Drop, , Resulting in 'Falling Iguana' Alert.
NBC News reports the National Weather Service in Miami-South Florida had an
odd warning for its residents on Jan. 30.
Iguanas are falling from the trees,
but don't be alarmed.
Officials say many iguanas in South Florida had become immobilized due to unseasonably cold temperatures, resulting in many falling from their perch as they slept on tree branches.
Iguanas are cold-blooded. They slow down or become immobile when temps drop into the 40s (4-9 Celsius). , National Weather Service, via Twitter.
They may fall from trees, but they are not dead. , National Weather Service, via Twitter.
As temperatures plummeted to lows of
25 degrees Fahrenheit, residents reported yards "littered with frozen iguanas.”.
...Because it gets so cold,
they lose that ability to
hang on and then they do
fall out of trees a lot. , Zoologist Stacey Cohen, reptile expert at Palm Beach Zoo, via NBC News.
Though most of the iguana population of South Florida will survive this cold spell, experts say for them, low temperatures
are often a death sentence.
Cold is a very, very life-threatening thing
for them because they are from parts of
Central and South America close to the
equator where it always stays very warm. , Zoologist Stacey Cohen, reptile expert at Palm Beach Zoo, via NBC News.
Green iguanas are not native to
South Florida. They are
considered an invasive species.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, iguanas were introduced to the region by accident,
as stowaways on cargo ships