US bomb cyclone: Iguanas are falling from trees in Florida

IGUANAS are used to living that sweet, sweet tropical life in Florida. The current winter storm hitting the US right now is proving too much for them.

An iguana that froze lies near a pool after falling from a tree in Boca Raton, Florida on Thursday. It’s so cold in Florida that iguanas are falling from their perches in suburban trees. Picture: Frank Cerabino / Palm Beach Post via AP

IT’S so cold in Florida that iguanas are falling from their perches in suburban trees.

Temperatures dipped below 5C early Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

That’s chilly enough to immobilise green iguanas common in Miami’s suburbs.

The cold-blooded creatures native to Central and South America start to get sluggish when temperatures fall below 10C, said Kristen Sommers, who oversees the non native fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

If temperatures drop below that, iguanas freeze up. “It’s too cold for them to move,” Ms Sommers said.

The scene at my backyard swimming pool this 40-degree South Florida morning: A frozen iguana. pic.twitter.com/SufdQI0QBx

— Frank Cerabino (@FranklyFlorida) January 4, 2018

FROZEN IGUANAS - South Floridians aren't the only ones not used to this chilly weather. With falling temperatures also comes another unusual sight: falling iguanas. https://t.co/uxZXcwpfqg

(Photo: Kay Pavkovich) pic.twitter.com/mHimIM9svg

— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 4, 2018

Well-meaning residents finding stiffened iguanas are advised to leave them alone, as they may feel threatened and bite once they warm up.

“Don’t assume that they’re dead,” Ms Sommers said.

Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida known for eating through landscaping and digging burrows that undermine infrastructure.

The wildlife commission has begun holding workshops to train homeowners and property managers to trap or manage iguanas. The reptiles may be easier to catch this week, Ms Sommers said.

“This provides an opportunity to capture some, but I’m not sure it’s going to be cold enough for long enough to make enough of a difference,” she said.

“In most cases, they’re going to warm back up and move around again, unless they’re euthanized.”

Twitter users were predicting a positive future for the warm climate creatures.

Once the temps get back to normal here is that same iguana . pic.twitter.com/qcCsihrad4

— MALIK (@ErrolWisdom) January 4, 2018

A two-week cold snap with temperatures below 5C in 2010 killed off many iguanas, along with Burmese pythons and other invasive pests that thrive in South Florida’s subtropical climate. Those populations have since rebounded.

They’re not the only reptiles stunned by this week’s cold snap — sea turtles also stiffen up when temperatures fall.

The wildlife commission’s biologists have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles found floating listlessly on the water or near the shore, but no such rescue is planned for iguanas.

Sharks have also been found washed up and frozen solid in the wake of the cyclone.

Shark washes up frozen on beach

Massive winter storm hits US

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