Iguanas In North America

[Dickydevo]

Does anyone have stories of o.o.p iguanas in Canada or U.S.A? Past or present.

Richard.

 

[GNC]

Do you mean escaped pets, or something more, well, not native exactly, but more local?

 

[Dickydevo]

More local really.

 

[GNC]

It would be difficult to tell the difference, you just have to see an old "Lost World" movie from decades past to see pet lizards used to represent dinosaurs, so iguanas must have been around as pets there for a century at least.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Does falling out of their tree perches count as 'out of place'?

It’s so cold in Florida, iguanas are falling from trees
It’s so cold in Florida that iguanas are falling from their perches in suburban trees.

Temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) early Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

That’s chilly enough to immobilize 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 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius), said Kristen Sommers, who oversees the nonnative 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,” Sommers said.

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 shore, but no such rescue is planned for iguanas.

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,” Sommers said.

Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida known for eating through landscaping and digging burrows that undermine infrastructure. They can grow over 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, and their droppings can be a potential source of salmonella bacteria, which causes food poisoning.

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, Sommers said. ...

SOURCE: https://apnews.com/dbdbdea7f924439b...ld-in-Florida,-iguanas-are-falling-from-trees

 

[EnolaGaia]

Tonight - Unseasonably chilly with a chance of scattered but heavy precipitation - iguanas ...

The cold weather iguana falls have become so common in Florida that the weather bureau issues warnings about them. This is an actual tweeted graphic from the National Weather Service in Miami.

​

The National Weather Service on Tuesday warned people in South Florida of the possibility of falling iguanas in advance of cold weather.

"This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s," the Miami National Weather Service office wrote in a tweet. ...

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/0...-of-falling-iguanas-Miami/9431579646392/?sl=2

 

[maximus otter]

Invasive iguanas are so numerous, and multiplying so fast, that the local authorities in Florida are encouraging Floridians to kill them.

“Green iguanas cause damage to residential and commercial landscape vegetation and are often considered a nuisance by property owners. Iguanas are attracted to trees with foliage or flowers, most fruits (except citrus) and almost any vegetable. Some green iguanas cause damage to infrastructure by digging burrows that erode and collapse sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, berms and canal banks. Green iguanas may also leave droppings on docks, moored boats, seawalls, porches, decks, pool platforms and inside swimming pools.”

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/green-iguana/

There’s a YouTube channel devoted to one Hispanic Floridian’s efforts to control the burgeoning population of these monster lizards. To protect the sensibilities of the delicate, l won’t provide a direct link, but a search under “Orion the Iguana Hunter” will do the trick.

maximus otter

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Iguanas tumble from the trees as South Florida gets hit with cold snap

Source: WALB News
Date: 22 January, 2020

(Gray News) – The National Weather Service in Miami nailed it.

With cold weather expected Wednesday morning, it forecast “falling iguanas possible.”

As the temperatures fell into the 30s and 40s, the green critters began tumbling from South Florida trees.

“It’s the #iguanapocalypse in South Florida this morning!" tweeted Eric Kay.

WPLG meteorology Brandon Orr found plenty of “cold stunned” iguanas across Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Alfred Spellman simply tweeted, “Man down!” after finding a big green lizard sprawled out on the ground.

https://www-walb-com.cdn.ampproject...3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s

 

[dr wu]

Talked to my sister in law the other day...she lives in Fort Meyers area....she said she hasn't seen any falling...I told her to fry one up if she did.

 

[maximus otter]

Talked to my sister in law the other day...she lives in Fort Meyers area....she said she hasn't seen any falling...I told her to fry one up if she did.

Six Ways to Cook Iguana


maximus otter

 

[GNC]

That's gotta be some dry, fibrous eating.

 

[maximus otter]

That's gotta be some dry, fibrous eating.

A National Geographic video about the scale of the problem of invasive green iguanas (in Puerto Rico). Features an iguana hunt, and a chef preparing iguanas for the table:

l was surprised by the scale of the problem: 110 iguanas killed on just one acre in an hour! The tasters seemed to find the meat delicious, so win-win.

maximus otter

 

[GNC]

I suppose after all that trouble they'd look stupid if they spat it out.

 

[Xanatic*]

My ex also recommended iguana meat. Sadly I couldn't find any.

 

[ChasFink]

Falling iguanas in Florida again:

Florida forecast calls for cold weather – and stunned iguanas falling from trees​

Marina Pitofsky
USA TODAY

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an iguana falling out of a tree?
The forecast for parts of Florida is looking colder in the coming days, with temperatures Sunday morning expected to range from 32 degrees or below in inland portions of South Florida. Near the coast, temperatures are forecast in the mid-to-upper 30s.
Brian Shields, a meteorologist at WFTV in Orlando, warned that iguanas can slow down and become immobile when temperatures drop below 40 degrees. As they slow down, the animals can fall from trees onto the ground.
...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...a-iguanas-fall-trees-cold-weather/9233100002/

 

[EnolaGaia]

Falling iguanas in Florida again ...

It's that time again. The massive wave of Arctic air sweeping across Florida has triggered alerts to watch out for falling iguanas.

Look up: Falling iguanas possible with freezing temperatures in Florida

Cold temperatures cause iguanas to lose muscle control ...

Arctic air is invading Florida this weekend, bringing freezing temperatures to the Sunshine State.

While we won’t see falling snow here, there will be a chance for falling iguanas.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said colder temperatures cause iguanas to “temporarily lose all muscle control.”

“Whatever you do, don’t bring wild green iguanas into your home or your car to warm up! They can recover more quickly than you think and become defensive, using their long tails and sharp teeth & claws,” FWC said in a Facebook post. ...

SOURCE: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/l...ssible-with-freezing-temperatures-in-florida/