What’s that green ‘monster’ strolling on Lincoln Road? Watch mega iguana in action
New York has King Kong. Japan has Godzilla. Scotland has the Loch Ness monster.
And Florida? Well, we have a little bit of everything.
We have massive gators strolling around golf courses, territorial crocodiles battling it out in the Keys, 18-foot slithering pythons and the many adventures of Florida Man.
We also have lots and lots of iguanas.
They come in a range of sizes, but the one bumbling in Miami Beach looked like a monster.
The large scaly reptile was spotted walking through Lincoln Road this week, and Crikey, he’s big.
Just look at his high spikes. And look at the burst of speed he uses to get to the nearby tree.
You wouldn’t want to mess with him.
Based on his features, including the large dewlap and his coloration (bright green with some orange accents) it’s an adult male, according to Ron Magill, Zoo Miami’s animal expert.
Magill says he appears to be between four to five feet long, most of which is the tail.
The critter found some fame after @OnlyinDade posted the sighting on Instagram and Facebook.
Some have called the iguana South Florida’s very own Godzilla.
While he looks impressive, Magill said he’s actually an average size for a male. Some are bigger, like the one Magill found recently in Key Biscayne. He says it was approaching seven feet in length.
While large iguanas like the one in the viral video are more likely to stand their ground if they feel threatened, Magill says iguanas aren’t aggressive and are not a threat to people or pets, even if his size may fool you.
“However, if someone would attempt to grab it, it has the ability to give you a very severe bite as well as whipping you hard with its tail and creating severe cuts by raking of its claws,” Magill said.
They can also get you sick with their poop — which carries strains of salmonella — and are an invasive species, which means they are considered a significant threat to the ecosystem, according to Florida Fish & Wildlife.
Iguanas have gone public before. Two were spotted in battle outside a Starbucks.
Maybe Hollywood’s next film will feature an iguana. Florida has loads waiting for their time in the spotlight.
This story was originally published September 19, 2019 at 6:47 AM with the headline "What’s that green ‘monster’ strolling on Lincoln Road? Watch mega iguana in action."
