Cold Weather Leads to 'Falling Iguanas' Alert in Florida

Southern Florida residents were warned to beware of falling iguanas.

Getty

Image via Getty/Joe Raedle

An iguana is seen in Miami, Florida.

On Tuesday the National Weather Service in Miami issued a warning through Twitter that told those in the area to watch out for falling iguanas, which is a byproduct of temperatures dropping way lower than those in the area are used to.

Jan 21 - This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020

Weirder still the lower temperatures simply stun the lizards, which gives them the appearance of being dead, though that's not necessarily true. With temperatures said to warm up on Wednesday, many of the animals are expected to wake up and move on with their lives. 

Verified the iguana warning and the wind chill advisory! Definitely not your average day in South Florida this morning. No records broken, however. The coldest temperatures for Jan 22 was back in 1985! Miami had a low of 30 and Fort Lauderdale had a low of 29. #flwx https://t.co/D8AnmAgvS5

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 22, 2020

People in South #Florida are being warned to watch out for falling iguanas.

Temperatures are falling so low at night the reptiles lose consciousness and fall out of trees - something they usually survive#AnimalNews pic.twitter.com/oZYD0sQlRu

— Animal News Network (@Animal_Newsdesk) January 22, 2020

Only in Florida. Beware of falling Iguanas #FloridaWinter pic.twitter.com/wCT6aba8mr

— Leni (@Daveleni) January 21, 2020

Things we have to worry about in Florida, getting hit by falling iguanas. pic.twitter.com/rPYmQctT36

— Dr. LimeShine (@lesmiller64) January 22, 2020

The AP adds that iguanas are neither dangerous nor aggressive towards people, though you'd still probably be scared shitless if one fell on your head or in your cleavage or whatever. I mean...check this out:

Yesterday, there was news no one believed...iguanas falling out of the sky due to cold temperatures. Here is a video sent by my friends at Redline Iguana Removal. #iguanas #FloridaWinter pic.twitter.com/8FUy2bVvpR

— Elina Shirazi (@elinashirazi) January 22, 2020

Male iguanas can grow to be more than six feet long (that counts the tail) and can weigh up to 20 pounds. They're not supposed to be native to South Florida, but they've been there since the late '60s and have seen their numbers climb considerably since then

Latest in Life