Critters can learn habits – We do it ourselves, our pets do it and even animals in the wild can pick up habits in its routine. Like any habit, they may be good or quite often, they are simply a bad habit. The following habit, is not OK.
A specific Iguana on our Island has learned how to climb the lanai screen, which is not uncommon. However, it would then find a flat spot directly over the resident’s hot tub and pool to defecate. Day after day . . . the problem was, it was in a spot where the owners could not remove it. They can’t reach it, they don’t want to spray water on it or hit it from below with the pool net. So there it would sit, dry out and slowly decompose in the sun and rain showers directly over their pool.
Note – The leading cause of Salmonella is from the Iguana Scat – The bacteria is active in both new and totally dry decomposed scat. You should remove it ASAP and keep your pets away from it. Thoroughly wash or use an alcohol based disinfectant to clean your skin. Wear a mask and do not inhale dry scat dust as you clean it from your areas.
Yep, this was a very bad Iguana habit. Safely lying on top of the screen, the Iguana pretty much ignored the owners efforts to scare it off. This had to stop, so they called me – Down Goes Iguana.
At first they would call, I would come and by the time I got into position, it would go up and over the roof and disappear. Very crafty, it knew I was bad news.
However, this week we had reinforcements in the person of Alex, their 20 something son who scampered onto the roof via a ladder and herded the Iguana off the lanai to the edge of the roof. That’s when it placed its head just over the edge and peeked down at me – Down Goes Iguana, Bad Habit Removed.
However, the story does not end there. This was a fairly good sized female at 47” long. What was striking was that she was very pregnant with eggs – Lots of Eggs – that were as large and fully developed that I have ever seen. Within just a couple of days she was going to lay this clutch in her burrow, which after laying, is never attended. She lays, she leaves and 90-120 days later, 40 to 70 new Iguanas will enter this world. We have a huge non-native Iguana problem in Florida, with 4 Million Iguanas and counting in South Florida today. This unchecked birth rate is exactly why it is growing so fast.
It is currently mating and egg laying season on Marco Island. We have a lot of Iguanas now – We are going to have a lot more in the next few months. Removing these egg-laden females now is incredibly important to curb this invasive species and the damage they wreak on our infrastructure, flora and other wildlife such as our Burrowing Owls and Turtles.
I am permitted as an independent Florida State Wildlife Control Officer. I live on Marco Island and I am in direct contact with the Marco Island Police Department to ensure that they are informed when I am on a property to remove an Iguana at the owner’s request. I am not funded by the City of Marco Island, if you want to have an Iguana removed from a property, call/text to 239-344-7706 or eMail hello@dg-iguana.com. In most cases, I am there within :15 minutes.
John R. Johnson