Meanwhile, in Florida…
A cold front that has dipped far into southern Florida has spawned an online marketplace for iguana meat. Yes, you read that correctly.
See, in the southern half of the Sunshine State, when temperatures drop below 50 degrees, non-native iguanas slip into dormancy and occasionally fall out of the trees where they live. Yes, it really happens. The National Weather Service office in Miami even tweeted about it.
Jan 21 – This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020
Since iguanas are a non-native species to Florida, you don’t need a license or permit to capture, dispatch, and yes, eat them. Some enterprising Floridians are even gathering them up and selling the iguana meat on Facebook Marketplace. Experts say iguana meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of Central America. It tastes like chicken, apparently.
For “food safety” reasons, you should only buy your iguana meat from a licensed meat wholesaler, and be sure to cook it to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.