Over 5,100 invasive green iguanas removed from Florida during cold snap effort

More than 5,100 invasive green iguanas were removed from Florida’s ecosystems in just two days.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced the results at its February meeting, crediting the rapid response to collaboration between residents, partner organizations, and agency staff. A temporary executive order allowed the public to collect and deliver live, cold-stunned iguanas to specific drop-off sites without a permit during unusually cold weather in South Florida.

"The special regulations under EO 26-03 provided a unique opportunity for members of the public to remove cold-stunned green iguanas from their property during the recent unusual cold weather and bring them to the FWC, no permit required," said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. "As an invasive species, green iguanas have negative impacts on Florida’s environment and economy. The removal of over 5,000 of these nonnative lizards in such a short time span was only possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of many staff members in multiple FWC divisions and offices, our partners, and of course the many residents that took the time to collect and turn in cold-stunned iguanas from their properties."

In total, 5,195 green iguanas were collected, with 3,882 brought to the Sunrise location. Additional counts included 1,075 in Tequesta, 215 in Marathon, and 23 in Fort Myers. The invasive reptiles, prohibited in Florida due to their damage to native wildlife and the economy, were either transferred to permitted handlers or humanely euthanized by trained staff.

The FWC reminded residents iguanas are not protected except by anti-cruelty laws and may be humanely killed year-round on private property with landowner permission. The FWC also warned against bringing cold-stunned iguanas indoors, as the animals can recover quickly and potentially injure people with defensive behavior.