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sarge
 Posted:
Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:35 am |
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Iguanas
I don't want to see people be able to slaughter iquanas at will but can see where an overpopulation of them in one area would not be good. I have a friend who had an iguana as a pet and had to have her euthanized last yr because of an incurable disease. She could not eat anymore and was slowing dying. He took wonderful care of her and she seemed to recognize all their family members and was really sweet. I also have some friends in the Keys whose neighbors stomp the iguanas to death when they come into their yard. For the protection of the iguanas and the residents it does seem like some laws would be a good idea.
County wants state law against iguanas
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA
Citizen Staff
The days of iguanas as a new and fascinating presence in the lives of Keys residents are over.
While some still love the ugly but beautiful critters, others liken the menacing green reptiles to enemy invaders. They tear up yards and gardens and feast on red hibiscus and other flowers.
Their exploding numbers have caused enough worry that the Monroe County Commission wants the state to get involved. The commission last week approved a resolution that asks the state to "enact regulations governing the possession, distribution or release of iguanas within the state." Commissioner Dixie Spehar, who sponsored the resolution, is concerned about the growing iguana population and the damage the leathery green reptiles visit on plants and gardens in the Keys.
"We have rules for dogs, cats, ferrets and so on," Spehar said of ordinances governing pets. "I would like to see [the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] act on this. They are growing, at lightning speed."
Mayor Mario Di Gennaro is more concerned about what they leave behind.
"I live it and see it every day," Di Gennaro said of their droppings. "It's very powerful and strong and it's not healthy."
State wildlife agency officials say they know iguanas are a problem, and not just in the Florida Keys, but throughout parts of southern Florida. Stopping the sale and distribution of the animals, however, would do little to solve the problem, said officer Scott Hardin, who works in the nuisance animal and exotic species division.
The problem: There already are too many of them in the wild and they're having babies faster than the state can control their numbers.
The agency doesn't know how many green iguanas are in the Keys. Iguana complaints hit a peak in the winter when the human population is highest. Iguanas are more visible in the winter because they seek out places in the open where the sun can warm them--just like tourists and winter residents.
Other local governments around the state have launched iguana-control efforts. Palm Beach recently approved a resolution to designate the little green beasts as a "species of concern," Hardin said. Lee County in 2006 set up a special taxing district to raise money to eradicate the reptiles.
Eradicating iguanas, especially now that state law allows residents to trap and kill iguanas, is still in question. Before July 1, only licensed professionals had a legal right to do it, though residents still slay the little dragons, too. The law requires "humane" methods, but does not specify how the killing is to be done. One common method is to trap and freeze them to death. Hardin's research has led him to conclude that there is nothing inhumane about that.
The Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which Monroe County contracts to perform animal control services, prefers to kill them with euthanizing drugs, said Chuck Best, who oversees chicken and iguana control. The Middle Keys shelter captures the iguanas and either gives them to a local woman who collects the animals or the shelter releases them into another area, animal workers said.
Hardin said he plans to meet with local government officials around the state to design eradication plans.
tohara@keysnews.com
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 4896
Location: georgia
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