It’s raining cats and dogs in Belgium, cats and dogs in England. But in Florida, stranger things sometimes fall from the sky, more specifically iguanas. This happens during a special season, the ‘frozen iguana fall’, which can be translated as the fall of the frozen iguanas or as the frozen iguanas autumn. In the rest of the world, this period is simply known as the autumn and winter months. But what explains this interesting phenomenon?
Like almost all countries in the world, the United States suffers from invasive exotic species. In Florida these include, among others, green iguanas (Iguana iguana). These large reptiles originated in Mexico, Central America and much of South America. Ships sailing from these regions to Florida occasionally accidentally took an iguana with them. They are also popular pets that unfortunately sometimes escape or are released.
Conditions in Florida were good enough for the wild to settle, and the animals have felt at home there since the 1960s. The absence of their original predators allowed the number of green iguanas to increase sharply, and thus their impact on native species. The reptiles are real gluttons that mainly eat plants and to a lesser extent eggs, insects and snails. During their search for food they damage vegetation in gardens and parks. In addition, they dig tunnels that pose a danger to infrastructure. Finally, they leave behind a lot of feces that are not only polluting, but can also contain salmonella bacteria. The green iguanas therefore seem to be unstoppable vandals. Yet they have a sensitive weak spot: as cold-blooded animals, they cannot withstand low temperatures.
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When it gets colder, the iguanas have difficulty regulating their normal body functions. This makes them less active and they move more slowly. At a temperature lower than about 5 °C, the animals stiffen and are often no longer able to hold on to the branches they are resting on. The result is a shower of green iguanas that flop from the trees onto the ground. Since the animals can grow up to 2 meters long and weigh more than 5 kilograms, this is not only dangerous for the iguana, but also for whoever or whatever is under the tree.
For that reason, and because it is an interesting visual indicator of temperature, some weather reports in Florida predict the likelihood of frozen iguana fall. Despite their lifeless appearance, in most cases, frozen iguanas are not dead. When the sun comes back through, they seem to thaw and start to move back. It is therefore recommended to always be careful around the iguanas, because they can become fierce if they feel threatened.
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Although winter is a difficult time for Florida’s green iguanas, populations and the size of the frozen iguana fall continue to increase. Given the size of the problem, nature managers and residents are also allowed to kill the green iguanas. The stiffened animals are easier to catch and can be taken to a vet or euthanized by the resident themselves. In the meantime, there are even proposals to award a reward per animal killed and to promote the eating of exotic green iguanas. The reptiles are said to taste like chicken and are therefore also called tree chickens.
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