The Problem: The term is used to describe animals that used to belong to “feral” someone as pets or livestock, but now live on their own as wild animals. Feral iguanas are common in some parts of southern Florida. To be more precise, the wild green iguanas in Florida are a mix of former pets and the offspring of these animals. Green iguanas are generally thought not to be native to the United States. This places wild green iguanas in the category of or species -- non-native species that “invasive” “exotic” have been introduced into a new habitat and which often cause damage to the ecosystem. Florida is overrun with invasive species, most of which come from the pet trade. Because of their tropical nature, pet green iguanas that have escaped or have been released by irresponsible owners have thrived in southern Florida, and their populations are growing rapidly in some areas as the iguanas breed successfully. Practices such as giving iguanas away as prizes at carnivals have exacerbated this problem. While some people find wild green iguanas to be a beautiful addition to the Florida ecosystem, the sad fact is that they do not belong there. As a consequence, at this time, they do not have a balanced place in the ecosystem with predators and competitors to keep their populations in check. At this time, very little has been done to study the ecological impact that green iguanas may have in Florida. However, given the negative impacts of many exotic species around the globe, such as the zebra mussel, English sparrow, walking catfish, and plants such as kudzu and purple loose-strife, it is best to assume that green iguanas will have some negative impact on the Florida ecosystem. Not only may they have harmful ecological impacts, but iguanas are becoming a serious nuisance species in some areas. The Green Iguana Society gets many letters each month from frustrated Florida residents, asking how to remove or repel wild green iguanas from their yards and pools. According to the , green iguanas in Florida eat shrubs, trees, landscape plants, orchids, and fruits such as figs, mangos, berries and tomatoes. Ornamental vegetation can be decimated by one large iguana taking up residence in a yard. In addition to destroying landscaping efforts, iguanas also cause problems by digging nesting burrows that can undermine sidewalks, sea wells and foundations.
The Problem: The term “feral” is used to describe animals that used to belong to someone as pets or livestock, but now live on their own as wild animals. Feral iguanas are common in some parts of southern Florida. To be more precise, the wild green iguanas in Florida are a mix of former pets and the offspring of these animals. Green iguanas are generally thought not to be native to the United States. This places wild green iguanas in the category of “invasive” or “exotic” species -- non-native species that have been introduced into a new habitat and which often cause damage to the ecosystem. Florida is overrun with invasive species, most of which come from the pet trade. Because of their tropical nature, pet green iguanas that have escaped or have been released by irresponsible owners have thrived in southern Florida, and their populations are growing rapidly in some areas as the iguanas breed successfully. Practices such as giving iguanas away as prizes at carnivals have exacerbated this problem. While some people find wild green iguanas to be a beautiful addition to the Florida ecosystem, the sad fact is that they do not belong there. As a consequence, at this time, they do not have a balanced place in the ecosystem with predators and competitors to keep their populations in check. At this time, very little has been done to study the ecological impact that green iguanas may have in Florida. However, given the negative impacts of many exotic species around the globe, such as the zebra mussel, English sparrow, walking catfish, and plants such as kudzu and purple loose-strife, it is best to assume that green iguanas will have some negative impact on the Florida ecosystem. Not only may they have harmful ecological impacts, but iguanas are becoming a serious nuisance species in some areas. The Green Iguana Society gets many letters each month from frustrated Florida residents, asking how to remove or repel wild green iguanas from their yards and pools. According to the , green iguanas in Florida eat shrubs, trees, landscape plants, orchids, and fruits such as figs, mangos, berries and tomatoes. Ornamental vegetation can be decimated by one large iguana taking up residence in a yard. In addition to destroying landscaping efforts, iguanas also cause problems by digging nesting burrows that can undermine sidewalks, sea wells and foundations.