Are frozen iguanas dead? Freezing temps persist in South Florida
Ashley Ferrer, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Mon, February 2, 2026 at 5:01 PM UTC
3 min read
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It's raining… iguanas?
Cold-stunned green iguanas have been spotted "frozen" across South Florida as areas such as the Treasure Coast continue to see record-breaking cold temperatures.
Due to conditions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order Jan. 30, temporarily allowing people to remove the frozen reptiles without a permit and bring them directly to FWC offices through Feb. 2.
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Temperatures dropped to as low as 23 degrees in Fort Pierce and 27 degrees in Vero Beach early Feb. 2, breaking daily records (34 degrees in 1980), according to the National Weather Service Melbourne and meteorologist Cassie Leahy.
Indian River, Saint Lucie, and inland Martin counties remain under freeze warning through 9 a.m. Tuesday, with dangerously low wind chills possible. These conditions can lead to frostbite and hypothermia, kill crops, and evidently, freeze a few iguanas.
Here's what we know.
Are frozen iguanas dead?
No.
When temperatures are sub-freezing or below, Florida's non-native green iguanas can go into a state of torpor, where they temporarily lose muscle control and appear “frozen,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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This can make them appear dead, sometimes causing the reptiles to fall out of trees.
If you see a frozen iguana...
Do NOT bring a cold-stunned green iguana into your home to warm up and NEVER put it into your vehicle unless specifically transporting to the FWC under EO 26-03 regulations, the environmental agency warns.
However, on Jan. 30, the FWC issued a new executive order with special regulations temporarily allowing people to remove the cold-stunned creatures without a permit and bring them directly to outlined FWC offices Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
What does FWC do with frozen iguanas?
According to the FWC press release, the invasive, non-native lizards removed and brought in to FWC offices are to "be humanely killed or, in some cases, transferred to permittees for live animal sales."
How long can iguanas stay frozen for?
Green iguanas can remain "frozen," or paralyzed, on the ground for several hours or even days until the weather warms up enough to let their blood thaw.
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They can recover from cold-stunning quicker than one might expect and can act defensively.
See Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and Stuart weather forecast
Here's the weather forecast for this week, Feb. 2-Feb. 8, in Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and Stuart, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne.
Vero Beach
Monday: High near 56, low around 33.
Tuesday: High near 64. Wind chill values as low as 31 early. Low around 46.
Wednesday: High near 73. Low around 50.
Thursday: High near 67. Low around 40.
Friday: High near 64. Low around 43.
Saturday: High near 69. Low around 46.
Sunday: High near 70.
Port St, Lucie
Monday: High near 57, low around 32.
Tuesday: High near 65. Wind chill values as low as 33 early. Low around 45.
Wednesday: High near 74. Low around 48.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers. High near 69. Low around 38.
Friday: High near 65. Low around 42.
Saturday: High near 71. Low around 45.
Sunday: High near 71.
Stuart
Monday: High near 55, low around 39.
Tuesday: High near 65. Low around 53.
Wednesday: High near 72. Low around 55.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers. High near 67. Low around 45.
Friday: High near 64. Low around 49.
Saturday: High near 69. Low around 52.
Sunday: High near 70.
Contributing: Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers and Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Frozen iguanas fall out of trees, as South Florida cold breaks records