Iguanas and reptiles could fall from trees after being left immobile by the harsh cold in the American Christmas storm. As Midwest and Great Lake states battle with lethal blizzard conditions, southern states have also seen below average temperatures. In Florida, an arctic cold front prompted a National Weather Service warning of temperatures 30F below normal.
Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zach Covey in Orlando shared an “Iguana Watch” alert on social media on Wednesday for central and South Florida.
“I’m issuing an IGUANA WATCH for all of central & south Florida,” he posted on Twitter.
“An Iguana Watch means temps below 40 degrees are likely for several hours leading to lethargic Iguanas.
“Impacts may include falling Iguanas from trees, which can cause damage to property and people.”
It was posted alongside a weather map from the station, with an iguana superimposed over the central and south regions.
Mr Covey stressed the message is not a government advisory but a “light-hearted weather alert”.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Thursday shared its own warning for “icy, invasive iguanas” ahead of the holiday weekend.
“Never take cold-stunned iguanas into your home! These are wild animals and may act defensively once they warm up and recover,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Over the years, NWS stations in Florida have issued unofficial “falling iguana” advisories before to warn residents of the threat of severe cold.
Residents are also advised that lizards they might find on the ground are usually temporarily immobilised, not dead.
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Back in January, there were multiple reports of cold-stunned iguanas as temperatures dropped to the freezing mark as far south as the Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida.
Despite the fall to the ground, they often survive and land on their backs with their spiny feet in the air, creating a spooky scene for residents who venture outside in the morning.
It comes after five people have died in road traffic accidents across the US, with three killed in Kansas and two in Oklahoma.
The storm is expected to rage on again through Friday, becoming a ‘bomb cyclone’ – a rapidly intensifying storm – over the Midwest and Great Lakes.
