It's "Raining Iguanas" in Florida!

[Ax01]

i thought this was amusing. the "bomb cyclone" that has hit the east coast this week has caused temps in Florida to dip below 40 and it seems some of the herps in the area have hit particularly hard by the cold snap. specifically the cold has "frozen" the invasive Green Iguana and they have been falling from trees and ledges, littering Floridian homes and towns.



this is a good opportunity for wildlife control to cleanup... oh u FL herpers too.

Florida Is 'Raining Iguanas.' Will The Invasive Reptiles Adapt?
While much of the northern part of the U.S. copes with blizzard conditions, in Florida, it's raining iguanas.

Florida residents have been sharing pictures of the reptiles belly up in backyards and on the side of roads.

The effect is brought on by the abnormally cold weather hitting the East Coast of the United States. And green iguanas, an invasive species accustomed to warm tropical climates, are struggling to cope.
Not all of the state's iguanas seen lying on the ground are dead. Many, in fact, are frozen in limbo, and some have been seen snapping back to life once their bodies warm. When temperatures drop below about 50 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, their blood starts to slow and they enter a lethargic state akin to a deep sleep. Note, this makes iguanas dangerous for people to pick up as they can become defensive once they're able to move.

The reason these iguanas have such a hard time coping with cold weather is simply that their reptile bodies aren't adapted to it.

Florida is home to a wide number of invasive species from monkeys to pythons, and iguanas are one of many species that has taken hold.

Their native habitat range stretches from southern Mexico to the Brazilian rainforest, where they spend most of their time perched in tree canopies. It wasn't until the 1960s that these large lizards, some of which can grow to be six feet long, were brought to Florida. Since then, their populations have exploded.

HOW COLD AFFECTS THE ANIMALS
Part of the reason iguanas have survived so well in Florida is thanks to the state's typically sunny, humid weather—but when cold strikes, iguanas fall.

read the rest of the article here: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/...en-florida-spd

more here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/watch-fal...211600738.html

and here: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/...out-trees.html


Edit: it's also too cold for Sea Turtles, so peeps have been rescuing them from drowning.

[hilabeans]

Someone just texted this to me! (Being a beardie & snake mom means that I'm my friend's designated receiver of all reptile-related news media). This one is pretty out there though. Poor little repti-sicles!

[GoingPostal]

My sister was asking me about this last week, she was very shocked when I said that would be a good time to knock them over the head but she wasn't aware of how invasive they are done there. Unfortunately will hurt natural wildlife as well but hopefully cut down on some of the ones who aren't supposed to be there.

[Ax01]

Someone just texted this to me! (Being a beardie & snake mom means that I'm my friend's designated receiver of all reptile-related news media). This one is pretty out there though. Poor little repti-sicles!

u should tell your FL friend that you're disappointed they only texted u and didn't actually send u one.

My sister was asking me about this last week, she was very shocked when I said that would be a good time to knock them over the head but she wasn't aware of how invasive they are done there. Unfortunately will hurt natural wildlife as well but hopefully cut down on some of the ones who aren't supposed to be there.

are u saying that your sis and Floridians should be "going postal" 3 on iguanas? lol

[c0r3yr0s3]

It got so cold in some parts of Florida, we had alligators getting frozen too. It's pretty freaky looking when all you can see is a bunch of teeth sticking out through the ice

[Ax01]

It got so cold in some parts of Florida, we had alligators getting frozen too. It's pretty freaky looking when all you can see is a bunch of teeth sticking out through the ice

have u seen any "super-chilled" Burms?

[c0r3yr0s3]

No, I rarely see any anymore thanks to "idiots" that made a burm hunting season. It makes me sick and I used the word idiots because I really enjoy being a member of this forum and the words that really describe them would get me banned

[MD_Pythons]

No, I rarely see any anymore thanks to "idiots" that made a burm hunting season. It makes me sick and I used the word idiots because I really enjoy being a member of this forum and the words that really describe them would get me banned

That doesn't bother me, they're an invasive species and they could be causing damage to the environment. That said, I wonder if some could be taken as pets or breeding stock. Sorta like what this dude is doing with the iguanas.

[baldegale]

this is so amusing to me, i keep refreshing my feed and just seeing a frozen iguana


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[c0r3yr0s3]

We're the most invasive species on the planet I think they should be put in a snake sanctuary or zoo. I understand the need to thin the numbers, I just don't like how they "show off" the ones they kill. I just wish the animal rights activists or peta would care about big "scary" snakes as much as fluffy "cute" ones