Free Iguanas!

[MrRngr94]

http://cbs4.com/pets/local_story_166122439.html (Video on the webpage)

Iguana Invasion In Hialeah, Dubbed 'Jurassic Park'

(CBS4) HIALEAH A Hialeah neighborhood is literally crawling with reptiles and it has officials from the South Florida Water Management District concerned.

While residents who live in the West Hialeah neighborhood, dubbed “Jurassic Park”, don’t seem to mind the reptile invasion, SFWMD officials do mind.

They say the large number of green iguanas that inhabit the area are causing problems because they’re burrowing holes in the canal and if the water starts rising, it makes the top soil unstable.

That hasn’t happened yet but engineers are studying the reptiles and the situation in order to make sure it doesn’t jeopardize the canal banks.

SFWMD spokesman Nestor Yglesias told CBS4’S Yusila Ramirez, “They’re actually burrowing into the canal banks and into the levees.” He went on to say “Some of these burrows are 10 to 15 feet deep into the bank so if we get a significant storm and the water rises, now we’re talking about more erosion.”

There are a number of other canals around South Florida that have the same problem with massive iguana populations and since they reproduce so quickly, it could become a massive issue.

That’s why engineers from the SFWMD are checking the canals in order to access the situation.

Yglesias also said these prehistoric looking reptiles don’t belong here. “They really don’t belong in our native landscape. They are invasive exotics, they were introduced via the pet trade and a lot of these animals escaped.”

CBS4’S Yusila Ramirez and her CBS4 crew counted more than 150 of the green iguanas camouflaged in the grassy canal bank in the short time they were there.

They also found some residents who feed the reptiles and experts say that’s not good. In addition, the green iguanas leave droppings that could carry salmonella bacteria and if someone gets too close to one, it could snap or bite.


LC

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

So who's gonna bring me one?

 

[kakojones]

only a two hour drive for me!!

 

[davo]

Bank collapse is their only worry? I'd be just as concerned we've got a massive number of large non-native species wandering around. Seriously though... why is it always florida?

 

[kakojones]

because they can live here. if they were released elsewhere they wouldn't have made it through the winter.

It does suck for our natives, but there is no stopping it at this point and i doubt they will have them exterminated.

I may have to make a trip down there with a couple of friends and see if we can't snatch one or two up. you know, just in case they do start some extermination of some sort.

 

[sncboom]

Early morning target practice anyone?

 

[Vicious_Fish]

There is some island off the panhandle that has a really bad problem with Spiny-tailed Iguanas. They are digging up the dunes along the shores or something. I hear this species is pretty untameable and makes a bad pet unlike the green.