A Florida man has gone viral after documenting an unusual response to a cold snap: turning frozen iguanas into tacos.
TikTok creator Gray Davis has racked up millions of views after posting videos about Florida’s recurring “raining iguanas” phenomenon, which happens when temperatures drop low enough to slow the cold-blooded reptiles’ metabolism in a process similar to torpor.
When that occurs, iguanas can stiffen and fall from trees, appearing lifeless until warmer weather revives them.
Rather than leaving one of the cold-stunned reptiles where it landed, Davis decided to cook it.
“Whenever we have these cold fronts and they start falling down, a lot of people will go out and collect them to help control the number in the population,” Davis explained in one of the videos.
He added that green iguanas are often referred to as “chicken of the trees,” before concluding, “So rather than let this one go to waste, we’re going to make tacos.”
During cold snaps, officials warn people not to bring stunned iguanas indoors, as they may regain mobility once warmed.
Davis said the iguana he used contained roughly 20 eggs, which he also incorporated into the meal. “By removing this one iguana,” he said, “we actually saved the environment from over 20 iguanas come spring.”
In his video series, Davis walked viewers through the cooking process without showing the animal’s dispatch. He simmered the meat with onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt, then crisped it in a pan before assembling tacos.
The eggs were then soft-boiled and blended with avocado, olive oil, garlic, salt, and lime juice to create a sauce. Davis also attempted to preserve the iguana’s skin to minimize waste.
“Now that right there is a Florida man taco,” he joked while holding the finished dish. “If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em.”
As the old lyric from the Wall of Voodoo New Wave classic once said, “I wish I was in Tijuana, eating barbecued iguana.” For this Florida man, that line turned into content—and dinner.