The Florida Weather Service warned the public regarding the risk of iguana drop of trees due to unusually cold temperatures in the region.
© Excelsior
Iguanas fall ‘frozen’ from trees in Florida due to unusual cold
Iguanas are cold blooded. They slow down or become stationary when temperatures drop below 9 degrees Celsius,” the service said on Twitter.
The authorities They explained that these reptiles, which can weigh up to 9 kilos, can reach fall suddenly from the trees, even if they are not dead.
Weather authorities in South Florida warned the public that immobilized iguanas might fall out of trees due to unusual cold temperatures across the region https://t.co/wPtXvCKbmt pic.twitter.com/0DUWJvBofP
— Archyde.com (@Archyde.com) January 31, 2022
Temperatures in South Florida hit a low of -3 degrees Celsius over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, with highs expected to stay in the 10s to 15s.
The northeastern United States was hit on Saturday by a winter storm that prompted several states to declare emergencies and forced the cancellation of more than 5,000 flights.
In images shared on social media by Florida residents, several iguanas might be seen motionless on the ground.
Iguanas fall from trees in Florida as cold snap hits. https://t.co/kEk3M3Y7FV pic.twitter.com/Ytik1qG9RB
– AccuWeather (@accuweather) January 31, 2022
What happens to iguanas with the cold?
Zoologist Stacey Cohen, a reptile expert at the Palm Beach Zoo, explained the iguana phenomenon to television station WPBF.
Their bodies basically start to shut down and lose their function,” Cohen said.
Although most reptiles will likely survive this period of immobilization, Cohen said subzero temperatures were a threat to their survival.
He recalled that a cold wave in 2010 wiped out a large part of the population.
The cold is something very, very dangerous for their lives because they are from parts of Central and South America near the equator, where it is always very hot,” added the expert.
Green iguanas are not native to Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They were accidentally introduced as stowaways on cargo ships and are considered an invasive species.
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