As heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures continue to batter many parts of the United States, experts have issued a bizarre warning to Floridians.
Per CNBC, the storm has been dubbed a "once in a lifetime" blizzard, and has brought snowfall and temperatures in an area spanning from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the Mexican border.
As a result, nearly 70 million people have been hit by winter storm watches or warnings, while 90 million are under wind chill alerts, per the Washington Post.
The storm - that has tragically claimed the lives of at least 57 people in the US - has also left many people trapped in their homes.
However, another bizarre phenomenon has also come about as a result of the storm: falling giant lizards.
Yes, despite sounding like an April Fool's prank, experts have issued a warning to South Florida residents about the possibility of iguanas falling from trees as a result of the plummeting temperatures.
Iguanas are native to tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean - but can also be found in Florida after being introduced in the state. The reptiles can also grow up to five to six feet in length from head to tail.
Speaking to the Washington Post, Yale University evolutionary biologist Martha Muñoz revealed that ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) are going to feel a change in the environment first and the hardest "because their entire fitness is thermally dependent".
As temperatures in Florida dipped into the 30s over the Christmas weekends, most lizards in the state will struggle to move as a result of the cold air.
As a result, some iguanas sleeping in trees may lose their grip and fall to the ground.
"Some other lizards are also known to fall out of trees as iguanas do," revealed Jonathan Losos, an evolutionary biologist at Washington University in St. Louis. "But they don’t get the publicity that a five-foot lizard does."
A tweet from the National Weather Service for Miami and South Florida even read: "Some of our Iguana friends may be sleeping in tomorrow morning whether they planned to or not. Also don’t be surprised if you see them falling from trees as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr!"
And back in 2018, NPR published an article explaining what a person should do if they come across a "frozen" iguana on the ground.
Well, although the creatures may appear dead or sick, once the temperature has increased, they should once again become mobile and return to their daily activities. As a result, people are urged not to touch or interfere with the reptiles.
In the past, it has been known for people to load an iguana into a car, only for the reptile to warm up and then attack.
But experts believe that iguanas will eventually adapt to the colder temperatures, as those who survive any big freezes are then expected to pass their genes onto their offspring.
As well as lizards, some sea turtles are also expected to wash up on beaches from Texas to New England. These creatures have also been left stunned by the drop in temperature.
Sadly, the results are often much more lethal, with an estimated 9,000 sea turtles losing their lives after being cold-stunned back in February 2021, per the Post.
