Iguanas Fall From Florida Trees During Cold Snap

How cold was it in South Florida this week? So cold the iguanas fell from the trees. The cold-blooded reptiles go into a deep sleep when the temperature falls into the 40s Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius). Their bodies turn gray, and they lose their grip, experts say. While many of the iguanas will wake up, they could face death if low temperatures persist. Iguanas can sustain cold for four to ten hours before they have to wake up, Magill said. According to Kenneth Krysko, a herpetologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, losing a few iguanas "is a good thing." "The [iguana] populations have expanded so drastically [that] when we do experience a really good cold snap, it will kill off a lot of them," Krysko said, adding that "they're not native, and they're considered a nuisance." Source: National Geographic