It's Raining Iguanas In Florida Because, Well... Florida

From the alligators that just stroll into your home, to the giant cat-eating lizards, your average Floridian has every reason to develop a healthy fear of their reptilian neighbors. Iguanas falling out of the sky must barely register in comparison, which is good, because that is what is happening.

One of the reasons the fearless flock to Florida is because of its warm climate, and that applies to reptiles as well. When it gets cold, they react pretty much the same way that we do: They retreat into cozy quarters and enter a dormant state, although instead of Netflix and herbal tea, all they have are tree branches and sweet oblivion. As anyone who's ever passed out on a precarious ledge can tell you, it's not always a guarantee that you'll wake up at the same elevation as where you fell asleep. Hence, the Miami National Weather Service issuing a warning on Tuesday that Floridians may see iguanas falling out of the sky, and further assuring residents that, against all instinct to the contrary, this is normal.

Experts have explained that the lizards may look dead, but they're perfectly fine. We pity the poor folks who missed the news this morning, then walked outside to find streets full of what appeared to be dead lizards heralding a bizarre new apocalypse. There's a moderate safety concern that some of the falling iguanas, which can grow up to seven feet long, could damage the property or people they fall on, but "seven-foot lizards" seems like a pretty big safety hazard all on its own. In reality, the only collateral damage is a bunch of videos of the iguanas comically plopping out of trees, and people dragging them around like unconscious drunks.

So consider visiting Florida in winter, where you can go full Weekend At Bernie's on giant lizards. You're welcome for the new tagline, Florida Tourism Commission.