When a rare cold snap rolled through the Sunshine State, most people reached for hoodies and space heaters—but one Florida man reached for reptiles.
According to The Palm Beach Post, plunging temperatures dipped into the 30s across parts of South Florida, cold enough to slow down the region’s invasive green iguana population.
As the chill set in, the cold-blooded lizards stiffened, lost their grip on trees, and dropped to the ground — a phenomenon locals casually call “falling iguanas.”
That’s when a Florida influencer known as Stackz decided to turn the moment into internet history.
In a video that quickly racked up more than 5 million views, he’s seen lying on pavement with dozens of immobilized iguanas piled on top of him like an improvised comforter. His caption dubbed it the “World’s First Iguana Blanket.”
“It was 30 degrees, now it’s 100. They keep me warm,” he says in the clip, half-joking, half-science lesson. He later clarifies that he didn’t harm the animals and that they were already frozen from the cold.
The spectacle doubled as a crash course in reptile biology. Iguanas don’t actually freeze solid. Instead, they enter a temporary state similar to torpor—a short-term slowdown in which body temperature, heart rate, and metabolism drop to conserve energy.
It’s a survival response that can last hours until the sun comes back out. Once they are warmed, they usually recover and move on as if nothing had happened.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green iguanas become sluggish or fully immobilized when temperatures fall between 40 and 50 degrees. Below freezing, they can appear lifeless but are often just stunned. Officials advise residents not to bring them indoors or into cars, since the animals can become defensive once they warm up.
The reptiles are common across South Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach, Collier, and Lee, with sightings spreading inland over the years. After the freeze, the agency temporarily allowed residents to transport captured iguanas without a permit to designated drop-off sites.
Experts say the safest move is simple: leave them alone. If removal is necessary, call a professional.