The state wildlife agency announced this week that 5,195 cold-stunned iguanas were collected and brought to four designated FWC offices on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 during South Florida’s period of record-setting cold temperatures.<\/p>\n
“The removal of over 5,000 of these nonnative lizards in such a short time span was only possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of many staff members in multiple FWC divisions and offices, our partners and, of course, the many residents that took the time to collect and turn in cold-stunned iguanas from their properties,” Roger Young, FWC’s executive director said at a Feb. 4 meeting in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n
LARGE BURMESE PYTHON ON VIDEO GETTING PULLED FROM FLORIDA NEIGHBORHOOD TREE: ‘IT WAS PRETTY DANGEROUS’<\/a><\/p>\n Special regulations under an executive order allowed people to remove live, cold-stunned iguanas from the wild without a permit for two days only, the FWC said in a news release.<\/p>\n Of the 5,195 iguanas collected, 3,882 of them were amassed at the FWC’s office in Sunrise, about 13 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, the FWC said.<\/p>\n Florida wildlife officials said 5,195 iguanas were collected during the two-day exemption of the state’s law requiring permits to transport the reptiles. (Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Another 1,075 were collected at the FWC’s location in Tequesta, some 24 miles north of West Palm Beach.<\/p>\n There were 215 iguanas collected at the drop-off location in the Florida Keys and 23 nabbed in Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n FWC staff worked to coordinate the transfer of iguanas collected to permit holders, including for sale outside the state. Any of the reptiles that couldn’t be transferred to permit holders were humanely killed by trained staff, according to the FWC.<\/p>\n Green iguanas<\/a> are a prohibited species in the Sunshine State because of their “negative impacts on Florida’s environment and economy,” Young said.<\/p>\n Green iguanas are an invasive reptile and a prohibited species in Florida because of their “negative impacts” on the environment. (iStock)<\/p>\n Because they’re an invasive species in Florida, iguanas can be humanely killed<\/a> on a person’s property and are not protected except by the state’s anti-cruelty laws.<\/p>\n “If you encounter a cold-stunned green iguana, you should never bring it into your home or building to warm up,” according to the FWC’s news release.<\/p>\n When temperatures dip, iguanas lose the ability to move their muscles.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you may expect \u2014 and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n Low temperatures<\/a> in Miami reached 35 degrees on Feb. 1, while lows in West Palm Beach hit 30 degrees \u2014 breaking records for that date, set in 1909, according to National Weather Service data.<\/p>\n Green iguanas were first reported in South Florida in the 1960s, according to the FWC.<\/p>\n When temperatures dip, they lose the ability to move their muscles and have been known to fall from trees<\/a>, appearing dead. But they’re very much alive and in a state of paralysis, or torpor.<\/p>\n When temperatures drop, cold-stunned green iguanas drop from trees. (Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Many Floridians took advantage of the region’s rare winter freeze<\/a> to round up the pesky reptiles that can damage people’s properties and “leave droppings on docks, moored boats, seawalls, porches, decks, pool platforms and inside swimming pools.”<\/p>\n![\"Cold-stunned](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cold-stunned-iguanas-in-bed-of-pickup-truck.jpg\")
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