Florida Experiences Unusual Cold Snap

Florida welcomed the new year with a serious chill, leading to a peculiar phenomenon: iguanas were literally falling from trees.

On New Year’s Eve, a startled iguana plummeted from its perch in South Florida as a sudden cold snap swept across the area, capturing dramatic footage that quickly gained attention online.

Meteorologist Matt Devitt shared a striking image on Friday of a green iguana sprawled out on a lawn in Fort Myers, where temperatures dipped to about 39 degrees.

“The iguana has fallen!” Devitt noted, emphasizing that the creature was “not dead, just passed out from the cold.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Miami, another meteorologist, Dylan Federico, showcased a viewer’s video depicting a frozen iguana clinging to a railing overnight.

“Miami has frozen iguanas!” Federico remarked as temperatures fell into the low 40s in parts of South Florida.

This situation illustrates the impacts of a cold wave in the Sunshine State, where green iguanas become inactive once temperatures drop below their comfortable range.

Iguanas are poikilothermic, which means they rely on external temperatures to maintain their body heat. When the mercury falls below 40 degrees, their metabolism slows significantly, often leaving them immobile.

Interestingly, an iguana resting on a tree can lose its grip as its muscles stiffen, sometimes resulting in a fall from considerable heights.

Wildlife officials have long cautioned Floridians not to assume that these animals are dead.

Typically, reptiles will regain their strength as temperatures increase and sunlight warms them up, often within hours.

This New Year’s cold spell marked one of the most extensive in recent years for Florida.

A powerful cold front swept through the state during the last days of 2025, bringing frigid air following a stretch of unseasonably warm weather.

Forecasts indicated lows in the 20s to 30s in northern and central Florida, with temperatures in the 40s in the south, prompting frost advisories and cold weather warnings across much of the state.

In Southwest Florida, officials reported a particularly chilly New Year’s Eve, the coldest in about 25 years, while central Florida faced its coldest year-end temperatures in more than two decades.

Iguanas aren’t the only creatures feeling the effects of this freezing weather.

Emergency shelters were opened from the Panhandle to the Treasure Coast, as residents were urged to keep pets indoors, protect plants, and check on neighbors.

This freeze revived a familiar discussion regarding the green iguana, an invasive species established in Florida for decades through the pet trade. They have been known to cause damage to property and vegetation.

Because they are considered an invasive species, iguanas have no protection under Florida law aside from the Anti-Cruelty Act.

Wildlife officials strongly recommend against handling iguanas that may have been startled by the cold.

While they may appear lifeless, when brought indoors to warmth, they can become lively, often quite defensively, using their sharp claws, teeth, and strong tails.

Relocating iguanas is illegal in Florida, and experts recommend simply leaving them alone, which is generally safer for both humans and the animals.