Green Iguanas In South Florida
Green iguanas are a very common pet to have around the world and can be traded worldwide through the pet trade. Since they are distributed worldwide through the pet trade they are present in many countries as invasive species. Green iguanas are native to Mexico and parts of central America as well as some islands in the Caribbean near the lesser Antilles. The green iguanas have escaped captivity in areas like Florida and because the climate is similar to their native range. Invasive species are a problem usually because they do not have any natural predators to keep their populations down causing overpopulation of that species. This is happening in Florida since the iguanas do not have any natural predators they overpopulate and do not fit into the food chain.
Problems with Green Iguanas
Green iguanas can be a nuisance and cause problems in Florida infrastructure, airplane runways and automobile traffic. Iguanas burrow to lay their eggs, often time in very sandy areas near the water. This can be problematic for areas that have canals and barriers made from sand since the iguanas create burrows in the canal and threaten the integrity of the structure. Iguanas can also prevent sewer systems from operating correctly if they are stuck in the drains or outflows for water.
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| Baby Green Iguanas emerging from burrow. |
Green Iguanas can also be hazardous to airway traffic because they sun bathe in the runway. This is both dangerous to the planes for landing as well as the lizards because they are at risk of getting run over.
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| Iguanas killed by automobile in Key West. |
The other major problem with iguanas is car traffic on the road and can cause iguanas to be hit by cars like the image above. Iguanas like hot surfaces like black tops such as roads to sun bathe in since they are cold blooded. Also, since iguanas are very territorial they do not do well in close proximity resulting in more space taken up by one iguanas then other species. This also contributes to iguanas migrating to other areas and increasing their range. Sooner or later all of Florida will be taken over by the green lizard.
I never realized how destructive iguanas are to their surrounding environments. To me, this was so surprising since most times I've seen one they look so harmless just chilling out on their own. Disrupting air traffic really surprised me being a major issue with the invasive species. If iguanas do increase in population it would be interesting to see how they are managed to keep them under control. But then again, if they keep running out in front of cars like this poor guy we saw here, that issue would be taken care of. RIP to this little guy.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware that iguanas were not native to the Florida Keys. I assumed that because it was the perfect climate for them, they belonged. I hope there is a solution to this issue soon.
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