While many who live in south Florida see iguanas as vermin, nuisance animals or even a tasty meal, others are interested in keeping them as pets or selling them.
Catching and selling iguanas caught in the wild in Florida was illegal until recently. But last month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) walked back a 2021 vote that prohibited capturing and selling the huge, invasive green lizards.
Here’s what to know about catching and selling iguanas in Florida… And what to know if you just want to catch and kill one legally.
Can you catch and sell iguanas in Florida?
Yes, you can now catch and sell iguanas in Florida. But it wasn’t always allowed.
In 2021, the FWC implemented Prohibited Species rules, which heavily restricted people’s ability to buy, sell or keep iguanas as pets. The rules were intended to reduce invasive iguana populations and protect native species, but it ended up having the opposite effect.
Since then, the United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) and some other special interest groups have been trying to reverse the Prohibited Species rules, which they successfully accomplished on May 21, when the FWC voted to change the rules it implemented in 2021 and allow Floridians to capture iguanas from the wild and sell them out-of-state.
“We have worked very hard with FWC to create rule changes which will allow more people to remove nonnative species,” USARK Florida President Elizabeth Wisneski said in a release. “This will benefit Florida’s environment and our small businesses.”
USARK told the Fort Myers News-Press that while the rule change is a great start, there’s still more work to be done and the FWC hasn’t taken action on allowing the collection of eggs.
“FWC must reform caging regulations to make it economically feasible for businesses to be able to house iguanas,” Wisneski said.
“Addressing the threats of invasive species in Florida is a priority for the FWC, but we can’t do it alone,” FWC Chair Rodney Barreto said.
“Approving these rule changes further empowers our stakeholders to get directly involved in removing green iguanas from the state, a win for Floridians and our native plants and wildlife.”
Can you legally shoot iguanas in Florida?
While some people are interested in capturing and selling iguanas or keeping them as pets, a lot of Floridians see iguanas as vermin that need to be “taken care of,” or even as a tasty meal (see below).
Iguanas are an invasive species in Florida, meaning they’re not native to the state, and are only protected by anti-cruelty laws.
They can be humanely killed on private property year-round with landowner permission, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Before you shoot at an iguana, though, check your local ordinances. There are some areas in Florida where you can’t shoot a firearm unless you’re at a licensed facility.
And there is no place in the state where you can shoot a firearm in any public place or on the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street, according to state laws. In other words, if you see an iguana on the sidewalk, you can’t shoot it there, unless you want to be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor.
It’s legal to kill and eat iguanas, but it’s illegal to import iguanas or iguana meat.
Do I need a license to shoot iguanas in Florida? What are the FWC rules?
There are 32 FWC-managed public lands in south Florida, where you don’t need a hunting license to kill iguanas, since they’re highly invasive to that portion of the state. The public lands where you can kill as many iguanas as you’d like are the same areas where residents and hunters are encouraged to kill any pythons they see.
“If you are not capable of safely removing iguanas from your property, please seek assistance from a professional nuisance wildlife trapper,” the FWC’s website says. “A permit is required to possess live captured green iguanas for eradication and control purposes.”
If you want to hunt iguanas for their meat or to just help out with controlling their presence in South Florida but don’t know where to go, you can book a guided iguana hunt.
There are only two rules to consider when hunting or killing iguanas:
FWC requirements for what makes a humane kill
Regardless of the method you use, you must ensure the following two steps are completed to humanely kill a reptile:
What to do with an iguana carcass in Florida
If you’ve gone out and killed an iguana without intent to eat it, don’t toss the body in a road or waterway. You could be charged with a littering fine.
Tossing a dead iguana in the trash could also cost you, depending on where you live. Some cities’ waste management systems allow you to throw it in the trash if it is double-bagged, while others require residents to hire a private pickup service to get rid of the dead animal.
Check what the rules are for your city before you toss a huge, dead lizard in the trash can.
Are Florida iguanas edible?
Yes! The iguana has been eaten in other countries for centuries.
“People have been eating iguanas since at least 10,000 years ago, when humans reached the New World tropics. It was a readily available, not-too-dangerous food source. It’s always been part of the diet,” William Kern, a professor at the University of Florida, told USA TODAY back in 2020.
Its meat is high in protein and low in fat. It’s well-suited for tacos, burritos, curries, soups, stews, gumbo and more, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“The solution? Iguana stew,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote on its list. “Their meat is often called ‘chicken of the trees’ for its mild flavor.”
The FWC allows for the humane killing and consumption of iguanas in Florida, as they are considered an invasive species.
Contributing: Amy Bennett Williams, Fort Myers News-Press
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Can you catch iguanas in Florida then sell them? You can, here’s how
Reporting by Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
