A cold front rolling into Florida this week is expected to push South Florida temperatures down to around 49 degrees by Saturday, Nov. 14, numbers cold enough to raise the familiar question of whether iguanas might start dropping out of trees again. Green iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles built for tropical climates, and when temperatures slide into the 30s and 40s, they can freeze up and go statue-still until they warm back up.
The cold front is forecast to bring temperatures as much as 15 degrees below normal across the state this week, according to the Palm Beach Post. But the outlet also reported that South Florida's dip into the upper 50s likely won't last long enough to trigger a widespread iguana culling. That tracks with reporting from Delawareonline.com, which noted that iguanas becoming vulnerable to predators until they thaw is a recurring feature of Florida's winter cold snaps.
What the Science Actually Says About Cold-Stunned Iguanas
National Geographic reports that Florida iguanas have been observed falling into cold stuns when ambient temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold slows their motor function to the point that they can lose their grip on a branch or tree trunk entirely, sending them tumbling to the ground below. Despite the viral nature of these events, the outlet notes that Florida does not keep an official count of human injuries caused by falling iguanas.
Not every forecaster treats iguana torpor as a meaningful data point, though. Alejandra Garcia of the National Weather Service told the Post plainly that it isn't something her agency tracks. “We don't really have that as a benchmark that we look at,” she said. FWC communications director Shannon Knowles, speaking to National Geographic, also cautioned that anyone who finds a cold-stunned iguana shouldn't scoop it up and bring it indoors or into a car, since the animals can recover from torpor quickly and may defend themselves once they warm up.
Where the Forecast Stands Across the State
The National Weather Service's outlook, as detailed by the Miami Herald, shows Miami dipping to 59 degrees late Friday and early Saturday before falling further to 57 late Saturday into Sunday. Central Florida is expected to reach the mid- to upper-40s on Saturday, while Tallahassee could hit 40 degrees and the Bradenton and Tampa Bay area may snap down to around 50 Saturday night. WUSF forecast South Florida falling into the mid-to-upper 50s from Friday night through Sunday morning, with upper 30s and low 40s settling across North Florida and the Panhandle by Friday morning. The Post also reported that overnight lows in the western Panhandle could reach the low 40s and even upper 30s, with Jacksonville forecast for overnight lows of 44 degrees both Friday and Saturday.
Why Florida Treats Green Iguanas as a Problem, Not Just a Spectacle
Beyond the cold-weather spectacle, green iguanas carry a more serious label in Florida: the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission classifies them as an invasive, nonnative species because of the impacts they have on native wildlife. Per the agency, established populations now stretch along the Atlantic Coast in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties, and along the Gulf Coast in Collier and Lee counties. Iguanas spotted farther north are generally believed by FWC to be escaped or released pets, since the species isn't cold hardy enough to establish lasting populations in those areas.
In cleared habitats like canal banks and vacant lots, the agency says iguanas tend to burrow into culverts, drainage pipes, and piles of rock or debris, making them a persistent presence in developed South Florida neighborhoods. The state's rules reflect that invasive status: landowners may humanely kill green iguanas on their own property year-round with permission, but a permit is required to possess live-captured iguanas for eradication and control purposes, according to FWC. Separately, FWC's guidance on green iguana collection and sales notes that, effective August 2025, people may apply for authorization to sell wild-caught iguanas out of state if they meet caging and biosecurity standards, though eradication-permit holders without a transfer endorsement must humanely kill captured iguanas within 24 hours.
