Out of control iguanas infesting South Florida

[BurfordTJustice]

Lock and load! Target practice.

Out of control iguanas infesting South Florida outh Florida's not quite Jurassic Park, but it's getting close. Packs of green iguanas are swarming seawalls, roaming yards and parks, and leaving a path of destruction and filth in their wake. Like a shot of espresso, the hot summer sun has stoked activity in the cold-blooded creatures, which experts say may be at record numbers.

"This year is the most iguanas I've seen and I've been in business for nine years," says Thomas Portuallo, owner of Fort Lauderdale-based Iguana Control. He says the invasive lizards are out of control with "many hundreds of thousands" creeping around Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

[gfretwell]

Since discharge of firearms in suburban areas is fairly strictly regulated the authorities are telling us to use air rifles. A .177 pellet from a modern air or CO2 gun will take them out. Unfortunately I doubt they will ever be able to shoot enough of them to make a dent in the population because there are still plenty of lizard huggers here.

[Frank]

I saw a TV show which used air rifles to kill them in Puerto Rico where they are also a problem. I think they are edible.

[gfretwell]

I suppose you can eat lots of things but I don't know anyone who thinks these are "good eats".

[gfretwell]

That is "food" in plenty of south America.