The winter weather in Florida is so cold that iguanas are reportedly falling from trees.
Wind chill advisories were issued by the National Weather Service in Miami (NWS), Thursday morning, Jan. 4. The department tweeted that temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the southern part of the state.
Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino, tweeted a photograph of what appears to be a frozen iguana facing the sky, “The scene at my backyard swimming pool this 40-degree South Florida morning: A frozen iguana,” he wrote.
Maxine Bentzel, a reporter for CBS12 tweeted more photos of the phenomenon. She also added that the animals could be thawed out if they were moved under sunlight.
But wildlife experts are warning residents to leave iguanas alone, as they could feel threatened and start to bite, once they are able to move again after thawing.
“Don’t assume that they’re dead,” Kristen Sommers told CBS News. She oversees the non-native fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Sommers added that when temperatures hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit, iguanas start to get sluggish. When the temperatures fall below that they can freeze.
“It’s too cold for them to move,” she told CBS News.
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