ORLANDO, Fla. – My childhood home was always the hub for critters such as snakes, otters, turtles and large green iguanas. We even called our backyard “Jurassic Park.”
It was the norm living in South Florida. Everywhere you went, from walking around school to downtown, wildlife, especially iguanas, were out and about.
Recommended Videos
Moving to Orlando in 2019 I realized it’s not normal to see reptiles everywhere.
Well, at least it wasn’t five years ago.
You may have noticed that green iguanas have been making their way to Central Florida.
UCF biology professor Matthew Atkinson, who calls himself a nerdy Steve Irwin, said green iguanas are migrating here because of increasing temperatures and population growth.
“Honestly as their population gets bigger and bigger in South Florida, they’re like any other animal — they want to find, you know, habitat and resources that they can use to thrive,” Atkinson said. “And so, as there’s a ton more down there, they need to have somewhere else to go. So, they’re just kind of moving up.”
The green iguana is not native to the Sunshine State and is on the prohibited species list. It was first spotted in Florida in the 1960s along the southeastern coast, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision.
Atkinson said since they are here now, it could be problematic as they can carry diseases and increase competition for food and other resources to native animals.
“They’re a bigger lizard. They’re a more competitive lizard, so they’re able to out-compete a lot more of those smaller native species that we have here,” Atkinson said.
If you encounter a green iguana, Atkinson said you should report the discovery to the FWC and not attempt to catch it.