Many iguanas have suddenly fallen from trees in south Florida, surprising local residents. What's the matter with that animal?
Apparently suddenly cold weather that doesn't usually occur in the area, to 0 degrees Celsius. That's what triggers the iguanas to fall from the trees.
"Iguanas are cold-blooded. They slow down or become immobile when temperatures drop. They may fall from trees, but they don't die," the U.S. The National Weather Service is warning residents about the iguana fall phenomenon.
As quoted by Reuters, this is not the first time this has happened. In 2020, the phenomenon of mass fall iguanas also occurred in the same area.
"Their bodies basically shut down and lose their function so they sleep on tree branches and then as the air gets so cold, they lose their ability to hang, so a lot of them fall from trees," said Stacey Cohen, a fauna expert at Palm Beach Zoo, Florida.
Although most of the iguanas are predicted to survive, the cold temperatures still threaten their lives. In the 2010 incident, the cold air killed many of the animals.
"Winter is very threatening for them because iguanas actually come from Central and South America, close to the equator, where it's always warm there," said Stacey.
This iguana is not native to Florida. They enter through cargo ships and then breed so that they are considered pests. This iguana can grow up to 1.5 meters long so people are advised to be careful because falling from a tree can be dangerous. Residents were also asked to leave it alone, not to take it because it could be vicious.