Cold sends iguanas falling in South Florida – but experts say it won't control population

As temperatures dropped across South Florida this week, invasive green iguanas were left cold-stunned, immobilized and falling from trees, prompting residents and wildlife organizations to capture the reptiles across the region.

Videos of fallen iguanas flooded social media as temperatures dipped, but experts say the animals were not dead — only temporarily stunned by the cold.

“Iguanas are cold-blooded animals, so they lose muscle control without warm weather and go into a dormant state,” said Pierce Kannamer, founder of Iggy Trap, an organization that specializes in capturing invasive species. 

Kannamer estimates there are tens of millions of iguanas across Florida. Though commonly seen in South Florida, the reptiles are considered an invasive species that pose serious environmental and economic threats.

“They are pushing burrowing owls out of their burrows, which are an endangered species here in Florida,” Kannamer said. “During this cold snap, many of them dove into gopher tortoise burrows, which are a keystone species with high conservation priority.”

The damage extends beyond wildlife. Iguanas are aggressive burrowers, capable of digging tunnels up to 50 feet underground, leading to infrastructure failures such as collapsed sidewalks and damage to buildings, Kannamer said.

The reptiles also reproduce rapidly, laying between 25 and 75 eggs at a time, with many surviving to adulthood.

Over the past several days, Iggy Trap has worked to capture cold-stunned iguanas across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

“We’re approaching just over 1,500 captured since Sunday,” Kannamer said.

Over the weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission allowed residents to capture green iguanas and transport them to designated drop-off sites across the state. The agency said the animals will be humanely euthanized or transported for live pet sales.

FWC officials said they will release statewide removal numbers, but experts say the brief cold weather is not enough to significantly reduce the invasive iguana population.