Iguanas are freezing and falling from trees in Florida because it’s so cold right now.

Temperatures dipped below 40F (5C) early on Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. That’s very unusual for the state.

It was so chilly that iguanas were unable to move.

Frank Cerabino tweeted a photo of one belly-up next to a swimming pool.

The cold-blooded creatures native to Central and South America, start to get sluggish when temperatures fall below 50F (10Celsius), said Kristen Sommers, who oversees the nonnative fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

‘It’s too cold for them to move,’ Sommers said.

They’re not the only reptiles stunned by this week’s cold snap: Sea turtles also stiffen up when temperatures fall. The wildlife commission’s biologists have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles found floating listlessly on the water or near shore, but no such rescue is planned for iguanas.

Well-meaning residents finding stiffened iguanas are advised to leave them alone, as they may feel threatened and bite once they warm up.

‘Don’t assume that they’re dead,’ Sommers said.

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by It’s THIS cold in Florida (Picture: @FranklyFlorida/Twitter)

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