The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is temporarily allowing residents to collect and turn in live, cold-stunned green iguanas without a permit due to the recent cold snap.
“Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida and negatively impact the state’s environment and economy,” the FWC said Friday.
FWC staff will accept iguanas collected by the public at the following locations:
- FWC Southwest Regional Office, 3900 Drane Field Road, Lakeland
- FWC Tequesta Field Lab, 19100 SE Federal Highway (U.S. 1), Tequesta
- FWC Law Enforcement Office, 2423 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers
- FWC Office, 10052 NW 53rd Street, Sunrise
- FWC South Florida Regional Lab, 2796 Overseas Highway 119, Marathon
Residents may collect iguanas on their property or with landowner permission. Collection is also allowed on Commission-managed property in South and Southwest Florida.
The FWC advises wearing protective gloves, long sleeves, and pants when handling iguanas. The reptiles should be placed in a secure cloth bag, then into a second locked container labeled “Prohibited Reptiles” for transport to an FWC location. Bags must remain sealed until handed to FWC staff to prevent escapes or injury.
Cold-stunned iguanas enter a state of torpor when temperatures drop near or below freezing, temporarily losing muscle control and sometimes falling from trees. The FWC warns against bringing these iguanas into homes or vehicles except for direct transport to a collection site.
