It Looks Like Its Gonna Rain Again
If you're looking to have a myth debunked, you've come up to the wrong place. "Frozen Iguanas Falling From Florida Trees" is neither the name of a schlocky B-rated horror film nor an urban fable. Information technology'due south something that really happens, which, if you're a Floridian yourself, you might be somewhat familiar with. But the residue of us may just exist getting used to the fact that it rains more than cats and dogs in The Sunshine State. In add-on to hurricanes and alligators, there's another course of reptilian precipitation to spotter out for.
But just why does this phenomenon happen? The brusque answer is that iguanas but don't vest in Florida; they're not native to the land, and those living there aren't used to the extremes of Florida weather yet. Only there's a longer answer, and information technology's a fascinating tale of invasive species, animal physiology and one of the strangest weather reports y'all'll ever see.
Iguanas Are Cold-Blooded, Which Induces Lethargy
When a creature is cold-blooded, its torso temperature changes along with shifts in the ambient temperature that occur in the air around the animal. This lies in contrast to warm-blooded animals, which are able to maintain internal torso temperatures higher than those of their surroundings due to their differing metabolic processes. Snakes, crocodiles, alligators, turtles and lizards, all of which are reptiles, are generally common cold-blooded. When temperatures around them drop, so does their internal temperature. This process also happens to iguanas — even the iguanas that phone call Florida home.
Equally the temperature in the air — and, thus, the iguanas' blood — drops, they get increasingly inactive. When external temps reach about 45 degrees Fahrenheit, iguanas exposed to these conditions enter a stunned or fallow state. They'll gradually become then sluggish so immobilized that they may look expressionless — but aren't. These lethargic lizards are actually even so breathing, and all their bodily functions are continuing. But those functions are taking identify much more than slowly because the iguanas' blood is moving around their bodies at a greatly reduced rate.
That said, if it stays in the 40s longer than 8 hours, those persistent cold temperatures can become fatal to iguanas. Simply merely how common cold does information technology accept to be to trigger lethargic responses? That depends. Ron Magill, Zoo Miami's communications director, told CNN, "The temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends profoundly on the size of the iguana… Generally speaking, the larger the iguana, the more than cold information technology tin can tolerate for longer periods." That may have to practise with the fact that the larger lizards accept more blood in their bodies so they can retain warmth in their blood a bit longer than the smaller reptiles.
The Lizards Are Diurnal — and They Have Unconventional Sleeping Spots
There may not exist many things that people and iguanas have in common, only the menstruation of time when they're awake each solar day is one. Diurnal animals like iguanas are active during daylight hours and inactive at night when they sleep or residue. Because iguanas are already slow or sleeping at night when temperatures are well-nigh likely to reach their lowest points, that'southward when iguanas are virtually vulnerable to the lethargy-inducing furnishings of a cold snap. The nighttime temperatures and the cold ambient temperatures chemical compound.
There's ane more thing about iguanas' diurnal nature to know about, though. It's where they tend to sleep that matters — and that leads to "iguana rain." Iguanas typically wander the ground or stay slightly secluded in brushy areas during the twenty-four hour period. But they then sleep up in the relative safety of tree branches.
A typical slumbering iguana is perfectly capable of remaining safe and secure in a tree until morning time. However, when iguanas are rendered lethargic or comatose by cold temperatures, their immobility causes them to lose their grip on the branches. Iguanas that succumb to the coldest overnight temperatures in Florida just fall out of bed — and onto the footing to exist found by startled Floridians when the lord's day rises.
They're Invasive and Aren't Suited for Florida's Climate
Ane might remember that iguanas would've evolved to deal with Florida's temperatures without going through this issue — they're native to rainforests, after all. But even if that were unremarkably the case, at that place are a few factors working against iguanas in this regard.
First, temperatures low enough to trigger this upshot are pretty uncommon in Florida, so the lizards aren't exposed to these dips often enough to develop whatsoever kind of evolutionary response. Depression lows happen occasionally — it's often January when they practise occur — but Florida temperatures in the 40s are past far the exception rather than the rule.
While Florida does have a pocket-size number of native iguana species, the vast majority of these lizards in Florida — including the about common green iguana, a species that's helpfully named Iguana iguana — aren't native to Florida at all. They're actually invasive, and so they haven't adapted to the state's (very) occasional chilly weather.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at that place are over twoscore non-native iguanas and relatives calling The Sunshine State dwelling house. These transplants were introduced to Florida as a result of the pet trade. In 1995 alone, over 800,000 greenish iguanas were imported into the United States from their native homelands — much warmer countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and Colombia. Over time, and so many iguanas escaped or were released by pet owners into the wild that they established a presence throughout the state.
No, That Iguana Is (Probably) Non Dead
In most cases, an iguana that you might discover lying on the basis nether a tree beginning thing in the morning isn't dead and won't die from the cold snap. Rather, it'south simply immobilized or comatose due to the cold. Every bit the temperatures increment around the iguana and it's exposed to sunshine, the iguana'southward blood temperature will increase, too.
Gradually, the iguana will become more than energetic and scamper away. Every bit the Miami Zoo'due south communications managing director mentioned, though, very cold temperatures can kill modest iguanas, but many only milk shake off the cold (and whatsoever falls from trees) with the arrival of warmer temperatures and sunshine.
With this in listen, information technology probably won't be and so startling next time you hear about weather forecasts — yes, the Miami National Weather Service has issued them before — for raining iguanas in Florida. In addition to having the benefit of this full general introduction to the reptile-related implications of common cold snaps, though, you tin can sometimes count on Florida weather forecasters to give you all the data y'all need even if some of information technology is definitely non information you want. (Check out this story about a Florida conditions forecast that went fashion across the probability of precipitation, humidity and expected high and low temps.)
So, if you always should hear the telltale slap of an iguana hitting the ground in the cool temperatures of a January Florida night, don't exist alarmed. Iguana rain is normal. Weird, simply normal.
Source: https://www.reference.com/science/why-rain-iguanas-florida?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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