Man covers himself in frozen iguana ‘blanket’ (Video)
In this DML Report…
During a historic cold front in Florida last weekend, influencer Stackz posted a video on Instagram showing himself lying in a parking lot under a pile of cold-stunned green iguanas, which he used as a makeshift blanket. In the video, which has garnered over 5 million views, Stackz stated, "It was 30 degrees, now it's 100. They keep me warm," and clarified at the end that he did not kill the iguanas, noting they were simply frozen due to the low temperatures. The iguanas, immobilized by the cold, remained paralyzed on the ground for hours but experienced only temporary effects, eventually recovering as temperatures rose.
Green iguanas, a non-native invasive species in Florida, are commonly found along the Atlantic Coast in counties including Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach, as well as Gulf Coast areas like Collier and Lee counties, with sightings also in Alachua, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, and St. Lucie counties. These reptiles thrive in warm climates and often perch in trees, but when temperatures drop into the 30s or 40s, they stiffen and fall, leading to incidents of "frozen iguanas" on sidewalks, pool decks, canal banks, shrubs, culverts, drainage pipes, rock piles, and golf courses. Since April 2021, green iguanas have been on Florida’s Prohibited list, making possession of live ones without a permit illegal; they are not protected except under anti-cruelty laws and can be humanely killed on private property with permission, but relocation or release is prohibited.
(read more below)
In response to the cold event, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order on January 30, 2026, temporarily allowing the transport of invasive green iguanas without a permit to five designated drop-off sites, which were open on February 2, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. These sites include the FWC South Florida Regional Lab in Marathon, the FWC Office in Sunrise, the FWC Tequesta Field Lab in Tequesta, the FWC Law Enforcement Office in Fort Myers, and the FWC Southwest Regional Office in Lakeland. FWC advises against bringing stunned iguanas into homes, vehicles, or buildings due to potential defensiveness upon thawing, recommending instead to leave them to recover naturally or contact professionals for removal.