‘Falling iguana’ alert issued in Florida due to cold temperatures: ‘Don’t assume that they’re dead’ – IOTW Report

‘Falling iguana’ alert issued in Florida due to cold temperatures: ‘Don’t assume that they’re dead’

USAtoday-

We are not making this up.

The National Weather Service in Miami has issued an unofficial warning for falling iguanas on Tuesday night due to the unusual cold snap that’s hit the Sunshine State.

“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,” the weather service tweeted. “Brrr!”

“Iguanas are cold blooded. They slow down or become immobile when temps drop into the 40s. They may fall from trees, but they are not dead,” the weather service said.

Once temperatures reach a certain level, iguanas stiffen up and fall out of trees, according to Chris Michaels, a meteorologist with WSLS-TV in Norfolk, Virginia, who said this is something that has been observed over the years in south Florida.

“At about 50 degrees, iguanas can become lethargic,” Michaels said. “It’s when the temperature drops to about 40 degrees or lower that their blood doesn’t move around as quickly. As a result, they can stiffen up and fall out of the trees in which they frequent.”

more

16 Comments on ‘Falling iguana’ alert issued in Florida due to cold temperatures: ‘Don’t assume that they’re dead’

  1. I’ve heard of it raining cats and dogs before, but Iguanas are something new.

    And the warning issued by the National Weather Service as well.

    Maybe there is some weird kind of climate change going on here.

    6
  2. “This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight…”

    No thanks. Been there, done that, served my time.

    7
  3. @Anonymous:

    …that’s a [mighty] disturbing image, @Uncle Al.

    Fascinating. Most people think that the more disturbing image would be normal Florida hot weather dangling ones.

    People should be grateful that Florida geezers wear knee-length Bermuda shorts.

    3
  4. Just wait’ll global warming really kicks in. We will have polar bears collapsing due to the heat in Norway, Russia, and Canada. Then evolution will take over and they’ll lose their white coats, get much lighter due to eating leaves instead of fat seals, become vegetarians, and move south till they end up in Florida.

    Perish the thought.

    1

Comments are closed.