Q&A of the Day – The threat Iguanas pose in South Florida
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Twitter: @brianmuddradio
Facebook: Brian Mudd https://www.facebook.com/brian.mudd1
Today’s entry: I have always enjoyed listening to your show on my way to work... until today. I heard someone on your show this morning telling people that iguanas hurt native species. FYI IGUANAS are the most peace-loving creatures I CAN THINK OF. They are plant eaters that munch on grass and people's flowers. By the way hibiscus flowers only last 1 day before they die anyway. They are shy, don't bite, are not poisonous, and literally hurt no one. Lies like the one you are spreading lead to horrific abuse, like when I witnessed one of my ignorant neighbors holding two of our beautiful neighborhood iguanas by the tails and bashing them against a tree. Please do your research before you speak, because someone might believe what you say. You, on the other hand, lost all credibility with me when you compared peaceful iguanas to pythons in the Everglades. Very ignorant.
Bottom Line: I wanted to address this not only for the person who sent this to me but also anyone else who might not be aware of my previous reporting on this topic, the official status of iguanas in Florida based on the Florida, Fish and Wildlife Commission along with the facts associated with the destruction attributed to them in South Florida. I don’t have a vendetta against iguanas. I do have great concern for south Florida’s environment. First, here’s the official status of iguanas in Florida:
- Green iguanas are not native to Florida and are considered to bean invasive species due to the damage they can cause to seawalls, sidewalks, and landscape plants.
In other words, it’s not my opinion that they’re a destructive problem in Florida. It’s demonstrable and it’s the official declaration of the state. Additionally, plants are species unto themselves and a critical part of the food/environmental balance of south Florida. Iguanas not only harm native plants, they also disrupt the entire ecosystem potentially harming the entire natural food chain. This negatively impacts everything from bees to birds and numerous species in between. This problem has reached a level that led the Florida, Fish and Wildlife Commission to take a new stance on green iguanas when they issued this directive in July:
- FWC encourages homeowners to kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible.
Now, because of instances like what you described with your neighbor, which isn’t/wasn’t humane, the FWC came back about a week later and emphasized the need for humane killing of iguanas (though that seems easier said than done). As part of that follow up they emphasized Florida’s anti-cruelty law. If you torment or torture the creature as a means of killing it – you're breaking the law.
As for the comparison to pythons. That’s easy. They’re both non-native. They’ve both invasive. They both are destructive to south Florida. FWC has sought the removal of both. Any questions? You may like the iguanas and that’s your prerogative, however there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. I live with facts and base my opinions on where they take me.