Iguanas Are Falling Out Of Trees In Florida As Temperatures Plummet

People have reported seeing iguanas falling from trees in Miami over the holidays, as cold temperatures cause them to 'freeze'.

The weather forecast, reported by the National Weather Service in Florida, wrote that low temperatures will be between 0 - 4 degrees Celsius (30 - 40 degrees Fahrenheit) over Christmas, meaning that 'falling iguanas are possible'.

But while it might look a bit alarming, locals are used to the weird phenomenon when temperatures dip during the winter months.

With lizards being cold blooded, they get most of their energy from the sun's heat - but when temperatures drop, their blood cools down, causing them to become sluggish and lose their grip on tree branches.

But they're usually fine, defrosting and starting to move again as they warm up.

The same thing happened back in January during another cold snap.

Forecasters in the United States put out the alert after temperatures in the South Florida and Miami region were predicted to plummet overnight.

Speaking to ABC News, Ron Magill, communications director for Zoo Miami, said: "The temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends greatly on the size of the iguana.

"Generally speaking, the larger the iguana, the more cold it can tolerate for longer periods."

Topics: US News, Animals

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward