Iguanas Falling from Florida Trees: Why?

You probably already saw all of the videos of iguanas falling from the trees in Florida. If you haven't, take a look at the video below! https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/10156129899944874/ Now, my first reaction when I saw the videos of people toting these massive lizards around was, "WHY!?" But it's not as bad as it may seem. https://www.facebook.com/jjisola/videos/10155963933754254/ For starters, iguanas aren't even native to Florida. They are an invasive species. Which basically means some lucky kid got an awesome pet and one day when it got too big, that kid let it go in the wild. Iguanas are a cold-blooded animal. Just like any other reptile, the temperature affects them in ways we can't even imagine as warm-blooded animals. This is why you see turtles and lizards sunning themselves on warm days. When cold-blooded reptiles can't find warmth, their bodies start slowing down. Think of it as a form of hibernation. Their blood slows, their breathing slows, and their metabolism slows to the point that they almost seem dead. That immobility is the reason the iguanas started falling from trees in Florida. It's typically a defense mechanism and how reptiles survive the cold desert nights. But don't worry, it never got cold enough in Florida to freeze these lizards to death. Just cold enough to make hauling the iguanas into more sunlight and warmth a good idea! So all of those videos of people carrying the lizards– don't worry, it's too cold for them to attack! But once they warm up, those beasts bite! So get away!!! Not Just the Lizards It got cold enough that the sea turtles off the gulf coast even started slowing down! https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/10156129172044874/ https://twitter.com/MyFWC/status/949328495628443649 For WeatherNation — Meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo