No-Lunch80 t1_j0un6sg wrote on December 19, 2022 at 3:33 PM

Reply to comment by strongerpainkillers in Iguana causes power outage in Florida town for third time this year | CNN by GZAofTheMidwest

Not a pest. they are invasive. They were, however, "pets" until their owners released them into the wild. like pythons.

strongerpainkillers t1_j0uu2vd wrote on December 19, 2022 at 4:20 PM

With a iguana population estimated as 20000 green iguanas in Florida.

they do significant damage to infrastructure and constructions, consuming wild flowers and decreasing insect life, damaging the eco system.

I wouldn't say a pest is the wrong description

It's true thing about some of the iguanas out there being former pets or their fathers/mothers were

No-Lunch80 t1_j0uz8xw wrote on December 19, 2022 at 4:55 PM

Not just some, ALL Green Iguanas are from Brazil/Mexico. It's literally Invasive, they aren't from here, aren't supposed to be here.

Yes you are correct; they wreck havoc, and yes they are technically pests by definition, as is anything that causes damage. I think the term 'non-native pest" is more apt. Term pest really undercuts the severity of Iguana problem. Mosquitos are pests also, but they belong, and removal of mosquitos from the ecosystem would cause a collapse. Iguanas don't belong, and their presence in a ecosystem is catastrophic, with their removal actually benefiting the system.

Same with the pythons...These guys are literally destroying an ecosystem. Lots of things are pests, but the effect of Iguanas and pythons on the same ecosystem is very, very different.

ziburinis t1_j0uz7gj wrote on December 19, 2022 at 4:55 PM

That and Hurricane Andrew, I think it was. That is the likely cause of a bunch of invasive species, including the python issue. A reptile breeding facility was totally leveled. I had friends with iguanas in outside aviaries that couldn't bring them with when they evacuated and they were all gone after that storm.