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Frozen iguanas falling from trees in Florida

Posted at 10:24 PM, Jan 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-04 23:23:22-05

It’s so cold in Florida that iguanas are literally falling from the trees.

Temperatures dropped below 40 degrees in parts of South Florida Thursday, causing the reptiles to freeze and fall out of trees.

While the iguanas look dead, experts say that’s not the case.

"Don't assume that they're dead," said Kristen Sommers, who oversees the nonnative fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It's too cold for them to move."

Iguanas are cold blooded and will start to get sluggish if temperatures fall below 50 degrees. In fact, the cold temperatures are low enough to temporarily freeze the green lizards.

The iguanas come back to life when their bodies warm up. Thursday, some were spotted lying belly up as they waited for the sun to thaw them out.

Experts are warning residents not to move the iguanas even if they are trying to help. The reptiles may feel threatened and bite once they warm up.