Green iguanas in Florida: a contemporary assessment of known and potential impacts
Claunch, Natalie
USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services
National Wildlife Research Center
Florida Field Station
Gainesville, Florida USA
Jones, Paulina
Khazan, Emily
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System
Southeast Inventory & Monitoring Branch
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Kluever, Bryan
USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services
National Wildlife Research Center
Florida Field Station
Gainesville, Florida USA
Green iguanas (Iguana iguana), large-bodied lizards native to South and Central America, have established multiple invasive populations worldwide. In parts of their native range, green iguanas are declining. Where established, invasive green iguanas have negative impacts on agriculture and horticulture, infrastructure, human safety, the natural environment, and private property. Most attempts to formally quantify impacts of invasive green iguanas have been conducted in Puerto Rico, or are limited to singular reports. Green iguanas have been established in Florida since 1966 and are currently a high management concern which must be informed by research on control methods. Impact data from Florida to justify these efforts are often anecdotal or out of date. Here we present a contemporary review of known and potential impacts of green iguanas to multiple sectors in Florida over time and space. We leverage data accessed from various stakeholders, including nuisance wildlife report data collected from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Wildlife Impact Management Section, take reports from the USDA Wildlife Services Management Information System, wildlife strike reports from the Federal Aviation Administration, fault reports from energy companies, and observations from natural resource managers. We identify important knowledge gaps in green iguana biology and ecology necessary to inform future management actions, which may have utility in both its native and nonnative ranges.