It’s raining… iguanas?
Cold-shocked green iguanas have been spotted “freezing” across South Florida as areas like the Treasure Coast continue to see record-breaking cold temperatures.
Because of the conditions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order on Jan. 30, temporarily allowing people to remove frozen reptiles without a permit and bring them directly to an FWC office by Feb. 2.
Temperatures fell to 23 degrees in Fort Pierce and 27 degrees in Vero Beach early on Feb. 2, breaking daily records (34 degrees in 1980), according to National Weather Service Melbourne and meteorologist Cassie Leahy.
Indian River, St. Lucie, and Inland Martin counties remain under a cold warning until 9 a.m. Tuesday, with dangerously low wind chills possible. These conditions can cause frostbite and hypothermia, kill crops, and apparently, freeze some iguanas.
Here’s what we know.
Are frozen iguanas dead?
no
When temperatures are sub-freezing or below, Florida’s non-native green iguanas can go into a state of torpor, where they temporarily lose muscle control and appear “frozen,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This can make them appear dead, sometimes reptiles can fall from trees.
If you see a frozen iguana…
Do not bring a cold-shocked green iguana into your home to warm up and put it in your vehicle unless it is specifically transported to the FWC under EO 26-03 regulations, the environmental agency warns.
However, on January 30, the FWC issued a new executive order with specific rules that temporarily allowed people to remove frozen-shocked animals without a permit and bring them to FWC offices listed on February 1 and February 2.
What does FWC do with frozen iguanas?
According to an FWC press release, invasive, non-native lizards removed and brought to FWC offices “will be humanely killed or, in some cases, transferred to permit holders for live animal sale.”
How long can an iguana stay frozen?
Green iguanas can remain “frozen” or paralyzed on the ground for hours or even days until the weather warms enough to thaw their blood.
They can recover from cold-shock faster than expected and act defensively.
Check out the Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and Stuart weather forecast
Here’s the weather forecast for this week, Feb. 2-Feb. 8, between Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and Stuart, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
-
Vero Beach
-
Monday: High near 56, low around 33.
-
Tuesday: High near 64. Wind chill value 31 initially low. Low around 46.
-
Wednesday: High near 73. Low around 50.
-
Thursday: High near 67. Lows around 40.
-
Friday: High near 64. Low around 43.
-
Saturday: High near 69. Lows around 46.
-
-
Port St., Lucie
-
Monday: High near 57, low around 32.
-
Tuesday: High near 65. Wind chill value 33 initially low. Low around 45.
-
Wednesday: High near 74. Lows around 48.
-
Thursday: 30 percent chance of rain. High near 69. Low around 38.
-
Friday: High near 65. Low around 42.
-
Saturday: High near 71. Low around 45.
-
-
Stuart
-
Monday: High near 55, low around 39.
-
Tuesday: High near 65. Low around 53.
-
Wednesday: High near 72. Low around 55.
-
Thursday: 30 percent chance of rain. High near 67. Low around 45.
-
Friday: High near 64. Low around 49.
-
Saturday: High near 69. Low around 52.
-
Contributions: Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers and Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
This article originally appeared in Treasure Coast Newspapers: Frozen iguanas emerge from trees, as South Florida cold snaps records.
