'Frozen' iguanas fall from trees in South Florida. See photos
'Frozen' iguanas fall from trees in South Florida. See photos
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAYTue, February 3, 2026 at 11:35 PM UTC
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Iguanas might be cold blooded, but sometimes frigid temperatures can be too much. A cold snap over the weekend in Florida resulted in a peculiar phenomenon that caused the reptiles to seemingly fall from the sky.
South Florida, a region known for its sun, beaches, warm weather and iguanas, saw temperatures in the mid-to-low 30s over the weekend in cities like Miami.
The cold temperatures prompted the National Weather Service to issue a severe weather advisory for Sunday, Feb. 1, from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, due to "very cold temperatures" that "can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.”
As temperatures dropped and people huddled indoors across South Florida, iguanas dropped from trees, with videos showing the reptiles stunned and immobilized from the cold, lying on the ground.
Typically, Florida residents must have a permit to remove invasive species from the wild. But an executive order from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued on Feb. 1 allowed people “to remove live, cold-stunned green iguanas from the wild without a permit” and bring them to one of five FWC offices.
More: Iguanas look 'frozen,' fall from trees as temps drop in South Florida
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See pictures of ‘frozen' iguanas
1 / 0It's raining ... lizards? See frozen iguanas fall from Florida trees.A cold stunned iguana fell fell from a tree as temperatures dropped to near freezing on February, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
An iguana is seen laying on the ground in a neighborhood as temperatures dip into the 30s as a cold front makes its way across South Florida on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
A "frozen" iguana is collected in a cardboard box during a historic cold front in Palm Beach County on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
A formerly "frozen" iguana pokes its head over a cardboard box during a historic cold front in Palm Beach County on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
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Why do iguanas freeze in cold temperatures?
Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles adapted to tropical climates, which South Florida usually provides.
But once temperatures drop into the 30s and 40s, the iguanas are stunned and freeze up, according to the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network. When temperatures warm, the iguanas begin to thaw. But until they do, they are vulnerable and can become prey for other animals.
Iguanas, such as the green iguana, are an invasive species that can destroy local ecosystems, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They live in burrows, culverts, drainage pipes, and rock and debris piles found along canal banks or in vacant lots.
They're more likely to be found in the South or Central Florida because they are not "cold hardy," and escaped or released iguanas kept as pets are less likely to establish populations in colder climates in northern Florida.
Contributing: Julia Gomez and Jennifer Sangalang/ USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Photos show ‘frozen’, cold-stunned iguanas in South Florida
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