Florida has been blighted by plague of frozen iguanas dropping from trees after the state's coldest February in a century.
The Sunshine State has been gripped by an extraordinary Arctic blast - sending temperatures plummeting to historic lows and triggering the bizarre phenomenon across the region.
Tens of thousands of iguanas have tumbled from trees, rendered immobile by the freezing conditions.
Orlando saw its thermometers record lows of -4C on Sunday, marking the coldest February reading in more than a century, with records stretching back to at least 1923.
The cold-blooded reptiles enter a torpor-like state when temperatures approach freezing, losing muscle control and appearing completely frozen.
Miami broadcaster WPLG 10 described the spectacle as "raining iguanas" as the creatures dropped onto pavements in vast numbers.
In response to the unprecedented conditions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took the extraordinary step of issuing an executive order permitting residents to gather the incapacitated creatures.
For the first time in the commission's 26-year existence, Floridians were granted a two-day window to transport the reptiles to designated collection points for humane disposal.
Col Roger Young, the FWC executive director, told Fox and Friends: "It's the first time we've ever done this for the iguana executive order.
Tens of thousands of iguanas have tumbled from trees throughout the state
|GETTY
"We figured we'd take advantage of this cold weather to try to help the landscape of Florida."
The collected animals would either be humanely euthanised or transferred to licensed permit holders for sale outside Florida.
The wildlife agency reported collecting more than 2,000 cold-stunned green iguanas during the removal event.
Blake Wilkins, who operates Redline Iguana Removal in Hollywood, south Florida, said he could "barely keep up".
ANIMALS - READ THE LATEST:
The wildlife agency reported collecting more than 2,000 cold-stunned green iguanas during the removal event
|GETTY
The animal control expert claimed he had "picked up close to 3,000 so far" during the unprecedented cold spell.
Jessica Kilgore of Iguana Solutions described gathering the normally swift creatures by the handful, likening them to "little bags of ice" and noting people could "pick them up like Easter eggs on the ground".
Residents were instructed to transport the animals in secure, escape-proof cloth bags placed inside locked secondary containers.
Green iguanas are classified as an invasive species in Florida, with the southern population estimated to exceed one million.
Green iguanas are classified as an invasive species in Florida
|GETTY
The dragon-like creatures, capable of reaching up to six feet in length, are thought to descend from animals that escaped or were released by exotic pet traders and owners.
Wildlife authorities consider them a nuisance because they compete with native species for food and excavate burrows into canal banks and buildings.
The commission cautioned residents against allowing the reptiles to warm up indoors, warning that iguanas recover from cold-stunning faster than expected and can become defensive, using their whipping tails, sharp teeth and claws.
The creatures were previously only found in Miami-Dade County, but have spread to much of the southern and western parts of the Sunshine State since the 1960s.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News