South Florida meteorologists are issuing a bizarre warning for their viewers this week—beware of falling iguanas.
Because the temperatures are expected to drop into the 40s this week, the cold-blooded animals could literally start falling from trees.
But while the sight may be unsettling, people shouldn’t worry. It’s normal for the animals to drop in chilly weather. And when they do, they are still alive. The lizards only go into a temporary frozen state, and they usually recover quickly.
When the weather gets cold, iguanas sleep in trees because they offer some shelter. And if their body temperature goes below normal, they enter a dormant state, which is what causes them to fall. And because the South Florida varieties can grow to be 15 to 20 lbs, a passerby could even be injured.
Fox-affiliated weather anchor Vivian Gonzalez explained the phenomenon in a Tweet on Monday.
We’ve entered FALLING IGUANA territory as temps. are in the widespread 40’s across Broward & Miami-Dade. They slow down or become immobile when temps. drop & could fall from trees, but they are not dead. Don’t approach. Once the sun is out, they will move. pic.twitter.com/FXdHrFbUEy
— Vivian Gonzalez (@VivianGonzalez7) January 24, 2022
“We’ve entered FALLING IGUANA territory as temps. are in the widespread 40s across Broward & Miami-Dade,” she wrote. “They slow down or become immobile when temps. drop & could fall from trees, but they are not dead. Don’t approach. Once the sun is out, they will move.”
Florida Man Finds Iguana in His Bathroom Toilet
In recent years, Florida has been overrun with 15 invasive Iguana species. And because of that, some residents have had some awkward experiences with the reptiles.
Take this man who found one in his toilet, for example.
As WFOR reported, homeowner Kurt Hilberth spotted a scaly giant while he was getting ready one morning. And it gave him chills. But once he tried to remove the lizard, things got chaotic.
“Your bare behind is over the toilet, and there’s something in there,” Hilberth told the outlet. “Something with teeth! Something that can bite you down there is really a shivering kind of thought. You’re at a very vulnerable point.”
The lizard that took residence in Hilberth’s commode was a spiny-tailed iguana. The breed is a particularly dangerous and aggressive breed. They’re known to bite and claw, and Hilberth guessed he was in for some trouble the second he contemplated removing it.
And he was right because the animal had no intention of leaving its new home.
“I was able to grab him by his back legs and part of the tail,” Hilberth explained. “I was pulling out, he was pulling in, the tail was going back and forth, water was flying everywhere, it was total chaos in the bathroom.”
Unfortunately, the iguana lost part of its tail during the fight. But because the animal can regrow limbs, he’ll be okay—eventually.
