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Floridians are warned against taking in frozen iguanas
A Florida cold spell has iguanas falling out of trees and appearing frozen and dead. They're not, though. "One sweet lady called because she was so worried after seeing an iguana fall out of her tree," says a veterinarian. "We told her not to take it into the house. It was a big one, maybe 5 feet. But you know how people are. When it woke up, she couldn't understand why it seemed to be coming after her. She couldn't get it to leave." (Florida Keys Keynoter)
January 7, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
but I thought that reptiles were warm and cuddly?! haven't you ever seen various cartoons?
Posted by: sometimesilie | Jan 7, 2008 9:40:50 AM
Five feet long?! Christ, that's not an iguana. That's a freaking Komodo dragon:|
Posted by: Dave | Jan 7, 2008 9:45:16 AM
My kids wanted an iguana; said they looked like miniature dragons. I said that if they wanted a dragon so badly we could take in my grandma. They quit asking.
Taking in a hibernating iguana is about as smart as befriending a raccoon.
Posted by: Soo | Jan 7, 2008 9:51:32 AM
I can't wait to move to Florida! In the midwest about the worst thing we have to deal with is a random coyote or a pissed off opossum.
Posted by: Cherie | Jan 7, 2008 9:58:00 AM
run for the hills... the 13th plague is here.
Posted by: buddy | Jan 7, 2008 10:09:22 AM
What is Florida? Like, the land that time forgot or something?
Posted by: Dave | Jan 7, 2008 10:19:24 AM
You know, Florida is full of dumbasses. First, they don't know how to use a butterfly ballot, and now they don't know what to do with five-foot lizards falling from the trees. You shoot them with a 12-gauge, not take them into your home. People can be so dumb.
Posted by: Dick Tater | Jan 7, 2008 10:41:33 AM
Taking in a hibernating iguana is about as smart as befriending a raccoon.
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Befriending a raccoon, LOL!!!
Posted by: sometimesilie | Jan 7, 2008 10:43:01 AM
funny. in a wtf were you thinking sorta' way.
and people say evolution is dead
Posted by: docray | Jan 7, 2008 10:59:32 AM
Anyone know any good iguana recipes?
Posted by: Phranqlin | Jan 7, 2008 11:02:30 AM
Phranqlin...it seems like they're already frozen so how about Iguana Popcicles?
Posted by: Cherie | Jan 7, 2008 11:07:45 AM
"Because they are non-native, and they eat valuable landscape plants, shrubs, trees, orchids and many other flowers, as well as undermine seawalls, sidewalks and foundations by burrowing."
Not a sentence.
Posted by: Lou Sussler | Jan 7, 2008 11:13:15 AM
Cherie, I don't know about you, but there is no way I'm gonna lick an iguana on a stick.
Unless perhaps it was dipped in chocolate. But I'd still think twice before I did it.
Posted by: Soo | Jan 7, 2008 11:21:32 AM
I was thinking more along the lines of grilled chili-lime iguana. Iguanacicles sound intriguing, though.
Posted by: Phranqlin | Jan 7, 2008 11:28:30 AM
Phranq
I just googled for iguana recipes and got 153,000 hits! The first screen was a mass of iguana stews, marinades, baked, fried, crockpotted, BARBEQUED etc. One well-documented site said "As a food source, the green iguana is also known as the "Bamboo Chicken"."
Now that I think about it, a few years ago there was some kind of animal cruelty protest about sewing iguana lips together in Central American meat markets.
Hmmmm
Posted by: NellAgain | Jan 7, 2008 11:29:11 AM
I live north of palm beach and these things are a freaking pain in the butt. People buy them as pets not thinking that they grow from cute to huge in a matter of years. My neighbors kid had one and got head to toe lacerations trying to give it a bath. I knew of at least 5 people that got them as pets and had to get rid of them. When I asked if they took them to the animal shelter you never get a straight answer. I can tell you I have found them on my fence and on the seawalls by my home.
Posted by: jupiterjim | Jan 7, 2008 11:29:19 AM
Iguana shoot the next one that falls on me.
These assclowns remind me of the aww gee shucksers in Aussieland who feed the dingos and wonder why little children go missing.
Posted by: A.V. | Jan 7, 2008 11:31:16 AM
Iguana Pops, the newest rage in Medieval Faire food. Hey, they've got every other kind of meat on a stick at those things... is iguana period for the Middle Ages?
Posted by: LooseyGoosey | Jan 7, 2008 11:39:13 AM
It also that iguanas can withstand a fall of 40 to 50 feet. So I'm thinking you'd probably *have* to shoot it. A broom handle or even a baseball bat, even wielded by an andrenalized primate, isn't going to have much effect.
This all is reminding me of my first encounter with a goana in the bottom of my grandparents garden. I was very young and it was VERY big and toilet training was never put to a severer test.
Posted by: NellAgain | Jan 7, 2008 11:40:32 AM
Irresponsible owners - these creatures are alot of work and time. If you don't take proper care of them, they go crazy wild. I own an iguana that is 8 years old and about 5 1/2 feet long. (He was about 4 inches when we got him.) His favorite past time - climbing curtains and dive bombing unsuspecting visitors. My in-laws never "drop by" anymore.
Another reason not to touch them - the zillion little razor teeth that they have. Triangular shaped and serrated - they can inflict a serious bite!
Posted by: lawdog | Jan 7, 2008 11:50:27 AM
" ... is iguana period for the Middle Ages?"
Yes, if you're a medieval Maya, Inca or Aztec.
The article suggested gassing them to death with dry ice, which sounds a lot better than beating them to death with a baseball bat.
Posted by: Phranqlin | Jan 7, 2008 11:52:26 AM
dry ice...you might want to let it thaw a bit before licking it Pharn...you'd look pretty silly walking around with your tongue fused to an iguana on a stick
Posted by: Cherie | Jan 7, 2008 12:03:23 PM
Most folks that live in Florida are not from Florida. Go figure.
Posted by: Yall | Jan 7, 2008 12:15:29 PM
Maybe Mothra is spreading Godzilla's babies around the globe, so while Godzilla is gathering them up, Mothra can have the run of Tokyo!
Posted by: The_Overdog | Jan 7, 2008 12:57:28 PM
Wall of Voodoo's song "Mexican Radio" Sings of BBQ'd iguana. Tastes like pollo
Posted by: yucca | Jan 7, 2008 1:41:36 PM
