People in Florida often get weather warnings for falling rain, snow, and hail. But now temperatures are dropping low. People have to watch for falling iguanas!

Last week, weather forecasters in South Florida said temperatures at night would fall into the 30s and 40s. They warned: Don’t be surprised if you see iguanas dropping from trees.

Iguanas don’t belong in Florida. And they definitely don’t belong in cold weather. Low temperatures stun the invasive reptiles. But the iguanas won’t necessarily die. Temperatures dropped Tuesday night. Many iguanas woke up on Wednesday when the weather warmed up.

Female iguanas can lay nearly 80 eggs a year. South Florida’s warm climate is normally perfect for the animals. Still, iguanas are in the wrong place. They come from Central America, tropical parts of South America, and some Caribbean islands. Iguanas aren’t dangerous. They don’t hurt humans. But they do damage seawalls, sidewalks, and landscaping. They can dig long tunnels. The males can grow to at least five feet long and weigh nearly 20 pounds. (If one of those falls out of a tree, Floridians will want to get out of the way quick!)

Iguanas are allowed to be kept as pets in Florida. They’ve been in South Florida since the 1960s. As years pass, their numbers there grow and grow.