Karma Chameleon, Iced Iguana

Be careful of where you walk, especially in Florida. If you're not careful you could be hit by an iguana. That's right - it's not coconuts, bananas, or unusually large rats. Beware of falling iguanas! Why? The cold weather we've had all week is to blame. Iguanas are reptiles and under 40 degrees Fahrenheit most reptiles' bodies slow down to the point of immobility. Will they be ok? Probably, but it depends on the height of the fall and what they fell on. Talk about a headache.

For the record, green iguanas are not even native to Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green iguanas snuck onto cargo ships and are considered to be an invasive species. They can weigh up to 17 pounds and get over five feet from head to tail. So, when they fall it's not like a little bird fell, but it's closer to a toddler falling on your head, car, or house. In addition, the cold weather that's slowing iguanas down could also kill or shock farmed fish that are not used to cold temperatures. Sure, fish do have a hibernation period, but like plants, if awoken prematurely will die when exposed to extreme cold. It may not happen, but it is certainly something to think about when you go shopping for fish and seafood in the next few weeks.

Speaking of cold-induced damage and headaches, if you live in the Memphis area, you are probably part of the predicted big chill. At this point we are past "predicted" and all the way in it. According to the MLGW website, roughly a quarter of MLGW customers are without power in the Memphis area as of 1800 on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022. If you are experiencing an outage report it, but also check the handy-dandy local area outage map to see how your area has been impacted. Luckily for us, even though we have to deal with fallen trees, we do not have alligators and we are not at risk of getting hit in the head by a falling frozen iguana.