Iguana

I saw an iguana on a tree in Key West. I was so excited. How incredibly cool to see such a large lizard in its natural habitat!

Or so I thought. 

I was wrong!

Mr. Dreamy (smarty pants) told me so. 

After my Iguana sighting in Key West, Mr. Dreamy and I took a walk in a lovely park near Fort Lauderdale and happened upon two large iguanas. One of them was at least 4 feet long. I got as close as I could to take a picture, but they weren't willing to stick around. I mentioned how neat it was to see animals like that out in the wild. Mr. Dreamy commented that iguanas are not native to the US.

Sure enough, with a little research on the Internet, I discovered that iguanas are pests in south Florida. Pets that were released, or escaped into the wild, and iguanas escaping from ships do what animals do when their basic needs of food and shelter are met. They multiplied. They enjoy the warmth and the vegetation in the south Florida area, they have no natural predators, and they are thriving. 

And I thought our deer were a nuisance! I can't imagine finding scaly creatures in my trees, eating my mangos.  Hey wait, mangos don't grow in Colorado! I guess iguanas won't be a problem for me!