Iguanas - See Giant Lizards in the Wild in Miami and South Florida

Iguana, Fairchild Tropical Garden

You can see iguanas in the wild in South Beach, although I took the photo of this orange iguana at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables.

These giant lizards are often over a metre long, but despite their ferocious dragon-like appearance iguanas are herbivores, and they will almost certainly scuttle away if you approach them.

Invasive Species, Not Native
Iguanas are not a native species in Miami or anywhere else in South Florida, in fact they are considered an invasive species, and some people would like them controlled, or even eradicated. But let's face it, most of the human population of the USA is made up of invasive species.

Arrived on Ships, or Pets
Early iguana settlers in the Florida Keys were stowaways on ships carrying fruit from Latin America. A second way of immigration occurred when pet iguanas escaped or were deliberately released into the wild. Now they can be seen in many parts of Miami-Dade County, further north in Broward County, for example in Fort Lauderdale, and in the Florida Keys.

Iguanas in South Beach
I have seen many iguanas in South Beach, mainly by the Collins Canal, which runs parallel to Dade Boulevard. A path along the canal is accessible from the back of the Holocaust Memorial on Meridian Avenue or by the Miami Beach Botanical Garden on Convention Center Drive.

Many of the iguanas by the canal are green and will probably be stretched out sunbathing and motionless, so you may not notice them at first.

Another place where you could encounter sunbathing iguanas is the rocks by the pier and South Pointe Park, at the far south of Miami Beach.

Different-coloured Iguanas
Baby iguanas are usually bright green, which helps camouflage them, but adult iguanas are a variety of colours, including brown and blue.

Their colour can be affected by temperature and stress. If the weather is too cool for an iguana its skin tends to darken, which helps it absorb heat. When under stress an iguana can turn dark grey or dark brown.

During breeding season some species of iguanas become bright orange, particularly the males. I have seen a lot of orange iguanas in various parts of Miami-Dade County.

Cold Spells Can Kill Iguanas
During the very cold winter of 2009-2010 (cold by Miami standards) when temperatures dropped to around freezing point for days at a time, lots of iguanas fell from trees and appeared to be dead.

However, at low temperatures iguanas go into a type of hibernation during which their bodies virtually stop functioning, although the heart continues to pump blood.

Normally they revive when the temperature rises again, but this time either the temperatures were too low or the cold spell lasted too long, and many iguanas didn't recover.

Iguanas at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild is where I've seen most iguanas, but during my last visit I didn't see many and a volunteer guide told me that there were now only a few, as most hadn't survived the cold winter.

She added that this was good, as they were an invasive species and they'd been eating all the flowers.

Fairchild Garden Not in Centre of Coral Gables
Should you decide to go to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, bear in mind that although it's within the Coral Gables municipal area it's absolutely nowhere near Miracle Mile, the main shopping street of Coral Gables.

There's a very limited bus service to Fairchild and you need to ask the driver to stop at the entrance to the garden.

Other Place to See Iguanas
Here are a few other places to watch out for iguanas:

• Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County
• Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County
• Canals in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County (for example on a Water Taxi trip)
• Florida Keys, Monroe County (especially Big Pine Key, en route to Key West)

Directions in South Florida Using Google Transit
For directions to any of these places in South Florida, either driving or by public transport, click on the Google Transit link in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Should you need help using Google Transit see the following post: Directions in Miami - Walking, Driving, Bike, Buses & Trains.

Watch for Iguanas Sunbathing Near Water or Flowers
Apart from the specific locations mentioned in this post, be on the lookout for iguanas lazing in the sun wherever there are rocks or other good spots for sunbathing, plus nearby water and lots of flowers.