Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 31, Number 11;   November, 2004

Iguanas Overrun Island: Boca Grande to Cut Population's Growth

by Wendy Fullerton

Nestled between the Gulf of Mexico on the west and Charlotte Harbor on the east, the island's non-native reptiles outnumber people by more than 2 to 1. There are about 1,000 year-round residents.

As temperatures start to rise, their presence becomes more noticeable along the 7-mile resort island. The invasive critters sunbathe on rocks, climb trees and lay eggs throughout the island. They munch on flowers, especially hibiscus, and vegetable gardens. Some residents fear they're harming native vegetation and species such as the endangered gopher tortoise by getting into their giant nesting burrows. To the dismay of homeowners, the fearless climbers with sharp toenails find their way into the attics, air conditioning ducts and dryer vents. They're even known to plod through the plumbing and come straight out through the toilet.

Mark Spurgeon, 46, owner of Boca Grande Real Estate Co., said he's known a couple of real estate agents who've found an iguana draped across the back of a couch they're showing. "That doesn't do good for a sale of that property," he said. "It's one exotic we could do without."

Boca Grande is home to mostly the Mexican spinytail iguana with a few green iguanas mixed in. Now islanders are plotting their attack. A few have armed themselves with pellet guns for protection. Depew said the idea is to have an iguana catcher much the same as animal control officers round up stray cats and dogs. Lee County officials have been asked to come up with a specific plan for doing so.

Boca Grande isn't the only tropical island paradise under siege from the exotic critters. The Keys are facing similar problems. And the cold-blooded iguanas are branching out. They've swum the pass south to Cayo Costa State Park. There are also colonies on Keywaydin Island and in the confines of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Collier County. Spurgeon said he's spotted a couple on the mainland side of the Boca Grande Causeway.

Joe Wasilewski, board president of the International Iguana Society, agreed something needs to be done. The group is dedicated to the preservation of iguanas and the natural habitats in which they live. "I have a hard time with the euthanasia because I love iguanas," said Wasilewski, a Homestead resident. "But when reality sets in, there has to be some kind of final line. I hate to say it," he said. "I can catch them but I couldn't kill them."