January 5, 2018—Iguanas are falling from trees in Florida. Unusually cold weather causes the lizards to enter a state of extreme sluggishness. If that torpor hits, they can lose their grip on a tree. Continued exposure to cold can kill iguanas, as happened during a cold snap in 2010. Iguanas are invasive to Florida, but are thriving there, affecting the region's ecology. Cold alone isn't likely to eradicate the exotic reptiles from the state. As biologist Joe Wasilewski explains to the Miami Herald, cold spells may be driving natural selection in Florida's iguanas, leading to populations more resistant to chilly weather.
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Florida Is 'Raining Iguanas.' Will The Invasive Reptiles Adapt?
