Yesterday (Groundhog Day in the U.S.), Punxsutawney Phil (THE groundhog) saw his shadow at a ceremony in western Pennsylvania, and that means we’re all in for six more weeks of winter. Thanks a lot, Phil. But you know who’s really bummed out about this news? All the iguanas in Florida, because they’re cold. So cold, in fact, that they’re entering brumation and falling out of trees, seemingly paralyzed.
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Brumation is a state of dormancy that reptiles enter when it’s really cold. The animals are alive during brumation, but they hardly move. To the untrained eye, brumating reptiles might appear dead or paralyzed.
[RELATED: Can You Find the Hidden Iguana in This Photo?]
Since green iguanas like to hang out in trees in Florida, a bunch of them are “freezing” and falling out of trees . . . so does that mean it’s raining iguanas? Yes. This is becoming a bit of an issue, so the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) asked people to help collect the cold-stunned reptiles and bring them to drop-off zones at multiple FWC offices.
Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida, which means they’re not supposed to be there. When invasive species thrive in non-native environments, it negatively impacts native species.
Check out one of the latest videos showing the “frozen” iguanas in Florida:
And here’s FWC’s post asking for the public’s help:
Header stock image by Cyndi Monaghan/Getty Images
