Iguanas fall from trees in Florida

JUPITER, Fla., Jan. 19 (UPI) -- It wasn't raining iguanas in southern Florida -- experts said cold weather caused some of the lizards to fall asleep and drop from trees.

The experts said this week's cold temperatures, which dropped into the 40s, caused several iguanas to lose their grips and fall out of trees due to the deep sleep brought on by the chilly weather, WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach reported Monday.

David Hitzig at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter said iguanas are reported dead in higher volumes when temperatures drop because they attempt to warm themselves in dangerous places, including roads and driveways.

Experts said most of the iguanas living in South Florida are former pets that were released by their owners when they became too large to keep.