It’s Raining Lizards: Risk of Iguanas Falling From Trees as Temperature Drops in South Florida

The green iguana is considered an invasive species in South Florida, as it is infamous for causing damage to infrastructure by digging burrows that erode sidewalks and canal banks. This time, however, iguanas pose another threat - falling from trees.

Cold-blooded iguanas could fall from trees amid the low temperatures in South Florida, the National Weather Service in Miami warned in an announcement posted on Twitter on Friday.

Dec 25 – Some of our Iguana friends may be sleeping in tomorrow morning whether they planned to or not. Also don’t be surprised if you see them falling from trees as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/50RSjsfrG0

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) December 25, 2020

Iguanas can’t handle cold weather, so when the temperature falls, they simply lose consciousness and appear to not breathe. Some iguanas have learned to adapt to changing temperatures by digging burrows or living close to water, where the temperature usually remains higher.

However, the ways in which iguanas adapt to the climate make some people feel concerned about side effects. Digging burrows has been shown to cause damage to residential and commercial landscapes.

According to the Centre for Invasive Species at the University of Georgia, more than 3,000 of the creatures have been spotted by researchers in South Florida – potentially resulting in a heavy rain of iguanas over the weekend.