Iguanas fall from trees with cold snap (Florida)

[Scott Patterson]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080104/ap_ ... ld_iguanas

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - How cold was it in South Florida this week? So cold the iguanas fell from the trees.

The cold-blooded reptiles go into a deep sleep when the temperature falls into the 40s. Experts said their bodies basically shut off and they lose their grip on the tree.

But it isn't sudden death: Experts said the reptiles perk up when the temperatures rises. The iguanas turn a gray hue in the meantime.

Miami Metrozoo officials said the night cold causes the most drops.

"The worst part of the cold comes in the evening, and they literally just shut off," said Ron Magill, communications director for Miami Metrozoo. "Their bodies shut off and they lose their grip on the tree, and they start falling."

Temperatures hit the high 20s and low 30s this week in Florida during an unusual cold snap. While many of the iguanas will wake up, they could face death if low temperatures persist. Iguanas can sustain cold for between four and 10 hours before they have to wake up, Magill said.

"The populations have expanded so drastically (that) when we do experience a really good cold snap, it will kill off a lot of them," said Kenneth Krysko, a herpetologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. "It is a good thing. They're not native, and they're considered a nuisance."

[JonathanBelles]

yep, ive seen this on many news channels.

[Stephanie]

I never knew that! I'm glad that they are alright though.

[Category 5]

I used to have one as a pet. They aren't native to South Florida, they aren't small lizards ether.

[Recurve]

There were iguanas lying on their backs all over the place Wednesday morning here. They looked so strange, like they were in rigor mortis, but they weren't dead. Every one of them woke up about a day later.

They are interesting creatures, but they are also disgusting pests that can grow to over six feet long. I wouldn't mind if the cold lasted long enough to kill them all. They're not native, they're another invasive species let loose by people who want to cuddle them until they turn into three-foot-long snarling green monsters. We are dealing with iguanas, pythons, monitor lizards, parrots and many other non-native animals that don't belong here and become a big nuisance.