SANFORD, FL — Seminole County code enforcement officers began issuing citations Saturday to residents who failed to provide “comfortable and dignified” resting areas for the thousands of invasive green iguanas currently falling from trees. The new “Lizard Hospitality Act” requires homeowners to clear lawn debris and ensure that any cold-stunned reptile landing on their property has access to a clear view of the sun and, ideally, a plush outdoor ottoman.
The mandate follows a historic cold front that sent temperatures in Central Florida as low as 24°F, causing the cold-blooded reptiles to enter a state of torpor and lose their grip on tree branches. While the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has officially opened drop-off sites for the “humane killing” of the invasive pests, local advocates argue that letting a 10-pound lizard crash onto a bare concrete driveway is “unbecoming of the Sunshine State”.
“We aren’t saying you have to tuck them in,” said county spokesperson Linda Vance. “But if an iguana chooses your yard as its temporary paralyzed resting place, the least you can do is ensure it isn’t lying on a patch of dead grass. It’s about property values. A yard full of disorganized, stiff lizards looks like a failed game of Tetris.”
The FWC has meanwhile warned the public that these “frozen” lizards can warm up and re-animate with startling speed, often becoming defensive and using their sharp claws or whipping tails. This risk has led to a surge in residents attempting to use the immobile reptiles as seasonal decor, with some social media users garnering millions of views by “stacking” the lizards into festive lawn sculptures.
Current indications suggest that the county will begin seizing un-seated iguanas on Monday, though officers have admitted that “arresting” an immobile lizard is significantly easier than finding a patrol car with enough trunk space for 500 green doorstops.
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