Beware of falling iguanas and other exotics by Jane Tolbert

Normally, in coastal areas, our media stories focus on water-related issues—tropical storms, the late spring and summer nesting of loggerhead turtles, the dangers of rip tides or shark attacks, or the impact of the freeze on the agribusiness. With our prolonged freeze following New Year’s, we had other newsworthy elements—falling iguanas and sluggish pythons. Not to mention the attention all homeowners lavished on their very tropical (non-native) palms or the lament over the recently planted St. Augustine grass.

The media carried warnings not to wrap the somewhat frozen iguanas in blankets—they can awaken from their catatonic state. And the Florida Wildlife Commission opened the hunting season to allow the “harvest” of pythons, indigenous to Central and South America, not Florida.



Manatees in a Satellite Beach canal



Pelicans on Mathes Bridge, South Tropical Trail

But the problem is more profound and relates to the introduction of exotics, or non-native species, into Florida. With the rapid development of the state beginning in the early 20th century, the ecosystem has been tampered with in constant efforts to “improve on paradise.” For decades, people introduced introducing flora and fauna that seemed appropriate for a tropical region that could lure tourists and investors. But these changes damaged the ecosystem and altered the hydrology, hence endangering the native species.

But the recent freeze has also introduced hardships to the native species that have suffered because their habitats have already been altered with the encroachment of development or the introduction of non-native species. Manatees have congregated in a narrow canal in Satellite Beach. They are now having problems returning to the Indian River Lagoon. The pelicans went a bit hungry since the fish hid in the depths of the water. Sea turtles also suffered from the cold. According to the website of the Florida Wildlife Commission, more than 3,000 cold-stunned turtles have been rescued.

This past week, our temperatures have returned to the norm. The canal has been dredged in Satellite Beach to enable the manatees to return to the lagoon. The pelicans are swooping down on the waters. I haven’t heard about iguana casualty or the number of python trophies procured by the hunters.

Well, one good thing is my St. Augustine grass seems to have frozen. Maybe this will precipitate my efforts to introduce a native landscape, one that requires less water and fewer pesticides and fertilizers to survive.