It is a fight to the death
Posted on 04/06/2014 5:29:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Iguanas invade Cape Coral, Florida neighborhood: Reptiles dig seawalls causing safety concern
Some residents in Southwest Florida are worried about an iguana invasion in their neighborhood. They say the creatures are digging up holes behind their seawalls -- a major safety concern for some homeowners.
Now, some residents are going to great lengths to try and get them out of the neighborhood.
"We're really scared," said resident Judy Ross.
The reason for Ross' fear?
"I'm getting a little bit afraid of the large ones like this one that must five, they're measured from head to tail, he must be five feet long," Ross said.
But it's not just the size of these iguanas that has her worried. Ross is also concerned about the damage they might cause her home.
"They dig the dirt next to the seawall and therefore it erodes it. I mean, then there is nothing left behind it, there is no dirt behind it," she said.
Ross says the iguanas have become a growing problem in her southeast Cape Coral neighborhood over the last year. She says she's tried a number of tactics to scare them off for good.
"The garbage can doesn't work anymore. I now have a frond. I had a rake that I would scrape along the bottom, you feel like a fool," says Ross.
But that doesn't stop her from trying some other more unconventional methods.
The city says, because they're not considered a nuisance, they won't bother trapping them. Fortunately, seawall experts say homeowners have little to worry about.
"Unless these iguanas are the size of Godzilla, I don't think there's going to be those small lizards can dig behind the wall to cause damage to a six-inch thick structurally reinforced concrete," says David Mulicka, Honc Marine Contracting.
But they still advise any holes be filled more for general safety than anything else.
"There's no part of this I see being a safety issue or structural issue unless somebody falls in the hole," says Mulicka.
Florida Fish and Wildlife says they've only received a handful of reports of iguanas in Cape Coral. They say if you see them to report them. Officials also say you are allowed to trap and kill them, but there are certain restrictions -- one being you are not allowed to poison them.
Al Gore needs to help us out here,he is the smartest man on earth,he would know what is making the Iguanas grow to 8 feet and eat anything walking the streets.
I can make a suggestion,anyone in Cape Coral with a pet monitor lizard,or komodo dragon,just cut them loose in their back yard, lets see who wins the battles.
People have all kinds of weird reptile pets around here, please don’t say that too loud.
Broward is LOUSY with them. Grrrrr.
Iguanas disguise their seawalls by making them look like hedges.
Oh Im sure plenty of cats wont tolerate this Lizard Invasion! hey,we have all seen those vids of Cats VS Alligators and Bears,These lizard monsters are just mouses to them.
Bobcats and lynx?
Dang, you beat me to the wall of voodoo reference.
CC
Wall of voodoo? What’s that?
Is that the wall that separates those who have Voodoo Donuts and those who don’t?
http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php
Hold mah beer and watch this!!
The iguanas on the island of St. Maartens are alcoholic. They come up and beg for the fruit out of your drinks.
I dunno. Interesting to combine santeria and sweet rolls. What I know of voodoo comes from the Bond film “Live And Let Die”. What i know of wall of voodoo is from a one-hit wonder from the eighties.
CC
here’s a solution,the locals can capture them,and just sell them to their local Asian Restaurants. Yummy!
So much for fierce, independent women who take charge........If an iguana scares you, commanding a government assistance to your fear, it's no wonder we're screwed.
Quick, kill them all before they get added to the “endangered species” list....then you’ll be screwed!
But seriously, the biggest iguanas I've seen were in St. Thomas and they weren't 5 feet long!
So that’s why there wasn’t any chicken in that chicken chow mein!
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