At Miami Beach in Florida, USA, iguanas are being observed falling from trees, frozen solid due to an unprecedented cold snap that has hit the country. According to AP News on the 1st local time, Florida experienced the coldest air mass since 1989, with temperatures dropping below freezing in some areas. Daytona Beach (-5°C), Melbourne (-4°C), and Vero Beach (-3°C) recorded new low temperatures, and Tampa even saw snow flurries.
During this time, iguanas have been seen falling from trees and lying motionless on the ground due to the cold. As a response, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued an administrative order asking residents to bring frozen iguanas to official shelters. A special regulation has been established allowing residents to collect green iguanas, an invasive species, from the wild without a permit, temporarily waiving the need for hunting licenses or management area permits.
The commission noted that the green iguana is an invasive species in Florida and negatively impacts the environment and economy, requesting residents’ cooperation. When temperatures approach freezing, reptiles and amphibians, like iguanas, temporarily lose muscle control and enter a torpid state. Typically, they wake once temperatures rise again, but they could die if the cold persists for more than a day.
In addition to the iguanas, Florida has also seen strawberries and oranges wearing “ice coats” as farmers spray water on fruit trees to create a protective ice layer, shielding the crops from freezing temperatures.
Since the end of last month, an intense snowstorm and cold wave have swept across the United States, resulting in over 110 deaths and widespread power outages.
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