...No, it's not raindrops!
In south Florida, if the temperature gets below forty degrees for four consecutive days, coldblooded green iguanas that have invaded the state go into dormancy. They begin to fall from the trees and rooftops, where they often perch. However, they are not dead - simply stunned - and may try to defend themselves when warmed.
The mild winter of 2019 and record-breaking heat that summer brought infestations that caused the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to declare open season on the exotic reptiles. "Iguanas can be killed year-round on 22 public lands in south Florida without a permit," reported the Washington Post ("Iguanas Spread in Florida as Climate Warms: 'They're a Menace,'" Lori Rozsa, July 2, 2019).
Iguanas can cause problems such as erosion degradation of water control structures like canal banks, sea walls, and building foundations. They can destroy carefully cultivated ornamental plants, including endangered plants, leave messy brown piles of droppings on decks and patios, and can carry salmonella.
Native to Central America and parts of South American, the creatures are a food source on some islands in the eastern Caribbean, where they're dubbed, "chicken of the trees."
Green iguanas can grow up to five feet long and weigh up to seventeen pounds. They live ten years or more and the females can lay six dozen eggs at a time. They dig tunnels up to eighty feet and have no natural predators in south Florida. "They swim, they climb, they dig," an owner of Redline Iguana Removal Company, said.
Like Ghost-Busters, iguana removal businesses have sprung up and are thriving in south Florida. It costs $50 to trap one, or a flat rate for a multi-iguana problem, which seems to be the dominant situation.
Although iguanas are herbivorous (plant-eating), traps are baited with mango and melon, their favorite foods.
When caught, the creatures are killed and cremated. "Their numbers are increasing and they're getting bigger," Jose Gonzalez, trapper for the Iguana Police Co., declared. "They're running out of space here, but the waterways in south Florida are perfect vehicles to move up and down the coast."
So, if a dormant iguana falls on your head during a cold snap in Florida, DO NOT put him in your car to take him home for your pet. He may awaken when the heat turns on and become downright nasty!
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