Florida Freeze: Iguanas Fall Victim to Intense Cold

Cold Snap Leaves Hundreds of Iguanas Immobilized in South Florida

South Florida is experiencing historically low temperatures, resulting in a surprising and widespread phenomenon: hundreds of green iguanas have become cold-stunned and immobile. The cold snap began over the weekend, with temperatures dropping into the 30s in South Florida and even the 20s in the Panhandle Sunday, February 2nd.

Meteorologists predicted this outcome, warning residents that the intense cold would affect the invasive reptiles. As temperatures plummeted, iguanas began falling from trees, appearing “frozen” and unable to move. Videos circulating online show the reptiles lying motionless on the ground.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the situation by issuing an executive order Sunday, February 1st, allowing the public to remove live, cold-stunned green iguanas from the wild without a permit. This temporary measure aimed to address the large number of affected animals. Residents were permitted to bring the iguanas to five designated FWC offices.

The FWC stated that the collected iguanas would be “humanely killed” or, in some instances, transferred for live animal sales. Green iguanas are considered a prohibited and invasive species in Florida, and typically, removing them from the wild requires a permit. The executive order provided a temporary exception to this rule.

On Sunday, February 1st, the FWC office in Sunrise collected more than 1,000 iguanas in a single day. Residents actively participated in the effort, with one individual reporting bringing in between 50 and 100 iguanas, while another collected “over 100 pounds of iguanas” within a 45-minute to an hour timeframe.

While some individuals attempted to help the cold-stunned reptiles by bringing them indoors and warming them with towels or even blow dryers, the FWC cautioned against such actions, citing existing regulations.

Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles adapted to tropical climates. When temperatures drop into the 30s and 40s, they become stunned and freeze up. While they typically recover when temperatures rise, they can die if exposed to prolonged cold.

The current freeze warning in Miami was in effect through 9 a.m. On Monday, February 2nd, and a severe weather advisory was issued for the evening of Tuesday, February 3rd, due to the risk of hypothermia with prolonged exposure to the very cold temperatures.