Never Thought I'd Hear This Weather Report

[OneEyedDiva]

Cloudy with a chance of Lizards. Yep...not blizzards...lizards. Florida residents were warned to watch out for lizards falling from trees.
https://www.geek.com/culture/its-raining-lizards-floridians-warned-of-falling-iguanas-1816800/

 

[Gardenlover]

True event - similar story on the local news here.

 

[win231]

All reptiles are cold blooded, which means they have no way of internally controlling their body temperature & must move in & out of sun & shade to adjust it. In fact, in cold temperatures, they won't eat because they can't digest food unless it's at least 75 degrees & preferably 85. They are equipped for that; they can go without food for a year or more if they have to. And, when a venomous snake is cold, he can be safely handled because he can hardly move & can't bite (not that I'm recommending it).

 

[JustBonee]

Saw that on the evening news .. must be a strange sight

 

[jujube]

Hey, you guys have falling blizzards………..we have falling lizards.

 

[Pappy]

Oh crap... I thought you said gizzards:

 

[TravelinMan]

And like most living creatures in Florida, they aren't natives!

 

[fuzzybuddy]

From the state that brought us "hangings chads", falling lizards seems normal.

 

[Kaila]

All reptiles are cold blooded, which means they have no way of internally controlling their body temperature & must move in & out of sun & shade to adjust it

So then, were they falling out of the trees, due to cold weather temperatures?

Has this happenned at other times, every year, when there is an unusual but not unheard of, drop in temps outdoors?

Are those particular lizards (Iguanas) native to SOUTH America?
Are the most common lizards that live in Florida, better adjusted than other lizards, to the temperature ranges, that do happen there?

 

[Liberty]

So then, were they falling out of the trees, due to cold weather temperatures?

Has this happenned at other times, every year, when there is an unusual but not unheard of, drop in temps outdoors?

Are those particular lizards (Iguanas) native to SOUTH America?
Are the most common lizards that live in Florida, better adjusted than other lizards, to the temperature ranges, that do happen there?

We were in Baja, Ca. one time. Hub was deep sea fishing, while I relaxed back at the complex, laying out on the room's back patio, which was thatch covered. All at once I heard screams from other patios, where people were also. The iguanas on the roofs had all fallen off, almost all at the same time do to the sun's rays raising the temps so high it put them to sleep.

One lady from Wisconsin was really in a tizzy...lets face it, not to many iguana's up there in the cold north!

 

[Kaila]

Thanks for that reply, @Liberty

Sounds like lizards have a limited temperature range of preference, in either the hot or cold direction!

Those didn't die of the heat; they just fell too soundly asleep?

Does that mean that they awoke suddenly, upon hitting the ground, and all scurried to run off quickly, the poor lizards being terrified of the woman from Wisconsin?

 

[jujube]

Oh crap... I thought you said gizzards:

View attachment 89238

Lizards have gizzards….. I've never made giblet gravy out of lizard gizzards, though. It would take a wizard to do that!

 

[jujube]

We have all sorts of lizards here in Florida. All the way from the tiny little ones less than two inches long up to the big 'ol iguanas.

I used to entertain the kids by letting the little lizards clamp onto my earlobes and wearing them as earrings. If you very lightly squeeze their heads, they'll open their jaws and you can clamp them on. Never failed to impress the kids.

My favorites are the blue-tongued and the blue-tailed skinks. Beautiful critters.

 

[gennie]

A few anoles/skinks (2 to 3 in.) live on my screened porch. The male ones have a red throat that they distend when I walk past. We're old friends so I think he is saying 'hello'.

The night of the falling lizards saw a large, abrupt drop in temp. and the suddenness was what caused the drop, so I heard. Gradual drop and they just go to sleep in place.

 

[Manatee]

I have seen iguanas in Mexico and the Caribbean, but I have never seen one here in Florida. We have lived here a total of 33 years.

 

[Liberty]

Thanks for that reply, @Liberty

Sounds like lizards have a limited temperature range of preference, in either the hot or cold direction!

Those didn't die of the heat; they just fell too soundly asleep?

Does that mean that they awoke suddenly, upon hitting the ground, and all scurried to run off quickly, the poor lizards being terrified of the woman from Wisconsin?

You got that right...they just seem to fall deeply asleep when the temps get high and then lost their grip on the thatched roof.
They came to, and took off, wiggling away. Those folks were really frightened. Monsters falling from the sky!

 

[win231]

I have seen iguanas in Mexico and the Caribbean, but I have never seen one here in Florida. We have lived here a total of 33 years.

Iguanas are not native to Florida. They ended there the same way Burmese Pythons did. People get them as pets, then get tired of taking care of them or they get too big, then they release them.