It's so cold in Florida this week that iguanas are freezing.
FROZEN IGUANAS - South Floridians aren't the only ones not used to this chilly weather. With falling temperatures a… https://t.co/loioE73mok
Temperatures dipped below 40 degrees early Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
People have been seeing iguanas falling from trees...
...on the road...
It’s so cold the iguanas are freezing and falling out of trees @CBS12
...and even chilling poolside.
The scene at my backyard swimming pool this 40-degree South Florida morning: A frozen iguana.
Don't worry, they are (usually) not dead — just stunned from the cold.
It's cold in South Florida today, and the invasive iguanas are dropping like, well, ectothermic reptiles. Pic via m… https://t.co/kj1heNJlZt
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission experts recommend that people leave the frozen iguanas alone, since they could bite once they warm up.
The iguanas have a good chance of thawing out if you move them in the sun. Just be careful @CBS12
The beautiful and bizarre animals are native to Central and South America and can grow to be over 5 feet. When temperatures drop below 50 degrees the lizards start to slow down. The bigger iguanas will shut down at colder temperatures. Iguanas sleep in trees, which is why they sometimes seem to fall from the sky when it gets cold.
The population of invasive iguanas has been exploding recently in Florida, which may explain why so many people are spotting them. The boom has even resulted in people finding iguanas in their toilets.
In 2010, temperatures plunged in Florida for two weeks, killing a large portion of the iguana population. The cold spell also killed invasive pythons, which were found floating in the Everglades, the Associated Press reported.
Fish and wildlife experts told the AP they don't expect it will remain cold long enough to kill a significant proportion of the population this time around. The FWC did not return a request for comment from BuzzFeed News on Thursday.
The fish and wildlife agency said sea turtles and manatees also can become stunned by chilly water, making them appear dead when they're still alive.
Cold temps impact #Florida wildlife. Report dead or distressed #manatees or #seaturtles to @MyFWC at 888-404-FWCC.… https://t.co/tNBB2j8N5i
Florida officials asked people to report stunned animals in the state's waters — and they've already rescued a bunch of sea turtles.
Check out our Facebook Live to see our staff rescue cold-stunned sea #turtles! https://t.co/YNmLDsHT45 #Florida
Of course, people on the internet had jokes about the falling lizards: "We're gonna need a bigger umbrella."
We’re gonna need a bigger umbrella. 🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎 https://t.co/DRL9p16tSv
Others were a little shocked to hear iguanas were falling from trees.
Iguanas in Florida Becoming Frozen, Falling From Trees. https://t.co/FNoyIfO7EG
People in the Northeast, who are experiencing a "bomb cyclone," didn't think "iguanas playing dead" were really a big deal.
@Middlesomething We got blizzards meanwhile Florida worryin bout iguanas playing dead . Rather deal with that than… https://t.co/bbdcWg0WUo