In some parts of the "sunny state", Florida, not only snow is falling, but also something even less common: iguanas. It's so cold in Florida because of the cyclone bomb that iguanas are falling from the trees. However, the reason is a simple matter of science.
Iguanas, like all reptiles, are cold-blooded creatures. Therefore, when the temperature drops a lot, the iguanas they experience can not move easily. According to The Independent, when the temperature drops below 10 ° C, the animals become slower. At minus 4 ° C, your blood stops circulating and you can not move.
Now, how do we explain the "rain" of iguanas? It's related. As iguanas like to sit in the trees, if the temperature drops too low, they freeze and fall. They are not the only animals that happen to them. Turtles also experience problems with movement during extreme cold. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission have found several turtles floating frozen in the water or near the shore, and have been rescued.
However, the commission has no plans to rescue iguanas. Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida known for its habit of ruining gardens and digging burrows that damage infrastructure. They can measure up to 1.5 meters and their droppings are a potential source of salmonella bacteria.
What should you do if you find a frozen iguana there? The commission recommends the following:
Do not assume that the iguanas are dead. It is very possible that they are frozen.
Leave them alone because they can bite (when thawed) if they feel threatened.
In most cases, although the iguanas are frozen, they will move again when the temperatures rise and the blood gets hot.
The iguanas are not the only ones that are suffering the consequences of the cyclone bomb, a meteorological event that has frozen much of the East Coast of the United States. Some people are finding that their cars are frozen and unusable in the middle of the street.
[The Independent and AP]