Iguanas Were ‘Freezing’ And Falling From Trees In Florida
Many parts of the country have been dealing with freezing temperatures and Florida is dealing with some cold weather of their own. It seems as if the Sunshine State may be looking at the possibility of flurries and an occasional falling iguana.
The cold snap that Florida is experiencing caused temperatures to drop as much as 15° below the norm for this time of year according to CNN.
The southeastern United States is feeling those colder temperatures but Florida is unique when it comes to the warning. It seems as if the sudden drop in temperature may have a side effect that most people would overlook unless it happened to hit them on the head.
“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!” the National Weather Service – Miami tweeted on Tuesday.
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
They talked about the cold-blooded nature of iguanas so they do tend to “slow down or become immobile when temps drop into the 40s. They may fall from trees, but they are not dead.”
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The National Weather Service has confirmed on Wednesday that they were correct with their forecast. Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center shared a picture of a falling iguana on Twitter.
“Verified the iguana warning and the wind chill advisory! Definitely not your average day in South Florida this morning,” NHS-Miami wrote. They also showed a picture of the iguana on the pavement.
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
Twitter was also showing other pictures from Floridians after they found those iguanas laying in their yards.
Here they are! Cold stunned iguanas around Miami and Fort Lauderdale after the coldest air in 10 years! We hit the upper 30s in spots. #FallingIguanas pic.twitter.com/He8jqkjFo2
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWx) January 22, 2020
Iguana stunned by the cold in front of my house near West Palm Beach. Last pic has my flop for scale.
I figured I'd find him– he's a regular around my yard.
cc: @SurfnWeatherman @JimCantore pic.twitter.com/yDFne6UOv7
— Hank "Very legal and very good" Epton (@HankEpton) January 22, 2020
According to USA Today, the National Weather Service reported that Miami temperatures were 40° on Wednesday morning with a wind chill in the mid-30s.
Iguanas are native to the Caribbean and Central or South America. They are not native to Florida and are considered to be an invasive species. There has even been some encouragement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife for Florida residents to kill iguanas that invade their property.
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