The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) warned this Saturday that non-native green iguanas could fall from trees tonight “stunned” due to a drop in temperature of up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius), something unusual in the “sunshine state”.
“When temperatures in South Florida approach freezing, non-native green iguanas can become stunned and fall from trees, entering a state of physical inactivity where their muscle control temporarily shuts down,” the federal entity said in a statement. release.
Likewise, the FWC warns the population on its social networks not to bring wild green iguanas into their homes and cars, since “they can recover quickly in warm temperatures and use their long tails and sharp teeth and claws when defending themselves.”
The regulatory body also recalled that people can “humanely” kill green iguanas, since, like all non-native invasive species, they are not protected in Florida except by the anti-cruelty law.
These alien-species reptiles that have become a plague in the so-called “sunshine state” are paralyzed when the thermometer drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius).
Their muscles do not respond to them and they fall from the trees where they sleep, which is popularly known as iguana rain.
Several meteorological services have warned this Saturday of the possible rain of iguanas, especially on Sunday, which will be the coldest day of this polar wave.
Brian Shields, a meteorologist for the WFTV channel in Orlando, offers advice today on Twitter in a section titled “Iguanas fall and what to do?”.
Green iguanas are native to South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and came to Florida through the pet trade. They were first reported in the state in the 1960s, according to the FWC.
WIND AND COLD AT THE SAME TIME
The low temperatures recorded today in South Florida are accompanied by a strong wind that has forced several flights to be suspended at the Miami airport.
This Saturday morning, 67 arrivals and 66 departures between Miami International Airport (MIA) and cities in the northeastern United States were canceled due to winter storm Kenan, Greg Chin, a spokesman for the air terminal, told Local 10 television. .
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), windy conditions in South Florida have not affected flights, but there have been dozens of cancellations due to bad weather nationwide, said FLL spokeswoman Arlene Satchell.
In New York, more than 4,600 flights have been canceled this Saturday due to the powerful snow storm, described as a bomb cyclone, which has been hitting the northeastern United States since last night with temperatures well below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds.
Due to cold air entering South Florida, authorities today issued a freeze alert for Miami-Dade and Broward counties beginning late Saturday night and lasting through Sunday morning.
There is also a wind chill advisory in effect for Broward, which means low temperatures could cause hypothermia, local media said today.
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