One Florida homeowner can breathe a sigh of relief after an iguana was successfully removed from their fireplace.
Michael Ronquillo, owner of Humane Iguana Control, answered the call on Sunday to help safely remove "an invasive green iguana" from within the home.
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"A resident in south Florida contacted us about finding an invasive green iguana in their fire pit," said Ronquillo to Fox News Digital. "Uncertain what to do, they contacted Humane Iguana Control to help have it removed. [I was]n’t surprised. Iguanas can pretty much end up anywhere."
Young iguanas can be brighter green or blue, as seen in the video shared by Humane Iguana Control.
"This iguana used a palm from a coconut tree to access the home's fire pit," said Ronquillo to Fox News Digital. "It’s important for residents to contact professional iguana removal companies to avoid health risks and potential bodily harm due to iguanas having very sharp teeth and nails."
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Iguanas can have up to a 30mph tail whip, and the upper portions of their tails often have spikes. The reptiles can also carry salmonella and spread the bacteria to human populations.
According to Ronquillo, "if you find an iguana in your home, you should block it in like the homeowners did in this situation."
"Like all nonnative reptile species, green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law and can be humanely killed on private property with landowner permission," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The reptiles are invasive in south Florida specifically, where "extensive man-made canals serve as ideal dispersal corridors to further allow iguanas to colonize new areas," per the FWC.
Ronquillo recommends that all homeowners in the region with coconut or palm trees near their homes "cut them back," as iguanas can use them as routes to enter properties.
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Green Iguanas were specifically added to Florida's prohibited species list in April 2021. The species can be "humanely killed" year-round without a hunting license or permit.
