Florida saw about a week of freezing and below-freezing temperatures that are slowly warming back up.
Several Florida cities broke low-temperature records on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and some parts of the state even saw snow flurries. The National Weather Service Melbourne posted on X before sunrise on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, that more daily and monthly cold records were broken again early Monday morning.
With cold weather in Florida comes falling iguanas in the southern regions of the state, where the huge lizards are invasive. But when an iguana is “frozen,” does it mean it’s dead?
Here’s what to know about falling iguanas in Florida.
Are iguanas still falling in Florida?
It’s not likely that many more iguanas will fall from trees this week. For iguanas to become cold-stunned enough to be immobile, the weather has to dip into the 40s.
Iguanas may be slow-moving for the next few days as they warm up, but the lowest temperatures for the rest of the week are expected hover around the low 50s for most of South Florida.
There may be a few more falling iguanas, but not as many as there were during the freak freeze that slammed the state over the weekend.
For example, the lowest predicted temperature for Naples, Florida is around 48 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
There’s a higher chance for a few more falling iguanas on the East Coast of Florida, though. The lowest temperature predicted for the West Palm Beach area this week is around 42 degrees on Thursday night (Feb. 5), but it’s expected to warm up to the mid-60s again by Friday (Feb. 6).
Do iguanas freeze in cold weather? Do iguanas die when they freeze?
When it gets cold enough, iguanas become immobilized and slow down to a “freeze.”
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, iguanas slow down in temperatures below 50 degrees and “freeze” and fall over when temperatures drop into the 30s and 40s.
When iguanas freeze, they are not dead. They are in a temporary state of paralysis that wears off when it becomes warm enough.
Can I still drop off ‘frozen’ iguanas to the FWC?
The FWC accepted cold-stunned iguanas at five locations Feb. 1 and Feb. 2. Hundreds of the reptiles were dropped off during the two days.
In Palm Beach County alone, 400 to 500 iguanas were collected by early Feb. 2 by the county’s Parks and Recreation.
The FWC executive order allowing people to drop off the cold-stunned reptiles without a permit ended at 4 p.m. Feb. 2.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Do iguanas die when they freeze? What to know about falling iguanas
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
