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Letter to the Editor: Godzilla Junior
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The headlining article “Iguanas Gone Wild” published on Friday exhibited what I believe to be a commonly held misperception of wild (or now-wild) animal populations, especially here in Florida. The subtitle, “Exotic pets becoming pests on Marco Island” labels the lizards unfairly, and perhaps for the sake of rhyming, as a pest. Though true that both species of iguanas mentioned are introduced, they are also herbivores, and homeowners irrationally fear for the safety of their pets, their family, and who can forget the safety of one vigilante’s pool water.
Now I, like any average joe, don’t find these scaly, spiny reptiles to be something I want curled up on the foot of my bed as I go to sleep at night, but the article missed an opportunity to accurately educate locals on the iguana’s newly assumed role in Southwest Florida’s habitat and instead makes ill-considered misjudgments on the lizards. The article lists frightening dangers to homeowners: the iguanas irreverent taste for your beautiful hibiscus, an (unfounded) taste for the endangered gopher tortoise’s eggs, threatening your seawall, and best of all could whip you with their tail (who is chasing after these guys anyways?).
So, after these pests leave your home barren and sinking into the ocean, and you and your family whipped, good thing the article clarifies it’s completely legal to “trap and kill them humanely” and a local official encourages you to even stick them in your freezer.
I’ve lived on Marco since I was 4, and my first Iguana sighting was when I was 9. Like any interested child I ran outside fascinated by the creature, and it immediately bolted off throwing itself into the backyard canal. The green and spiny tailed iguanas are not confrontational and are very difficult to catch because they flee at the first sight of humans. Though these little buggers aren’t the cutest, they’re likely much less dangerous pests than initial fears. The FWC might call me a “tree-hugger and animal rights activist” but I call it intelligent investigation and just good sense.
Michael J. Menelli, Hippie Tree-hugger and Animal Rights Activist, Marco Island
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The iguana's on Marco are not natural to south west florida, however have become quite the naturists, tanning in the sun. As an informed iguana lover, but not owner, these beautiful creatures are veggie eating leave me alone lizards. Ive come across several on marco, and the second you raise an arm for a picture, they scatter into the brush, or up a tree.
I am more concerned about the growing monitor lizard population in Cape Coral. This is a problem, unlike the Iguana's . Monitor lizards are meat eating fear nothing lizards, who need to be stopped from populating, before we consider what to do with the Iguana's. Another concern to watch for is the growing population of Coyotes on Marco and now Isle of Capri. There have been 2 on Marco and now one of Isle of Capri tormenting other animals. Coyote's can get your little dog, or cat and can definitly get through your lanai screening, if they see a meal readily available. I would be more concerned about seeing a coyote on my property than an Iguana!! It's been said that if you live a mile out from the golf course, to please keep your pets indoors or close to you on walks in the evening. This is hunting time for the coyotes. Ignore the Iguana's, we have bigger, furrier issue's at hand.
#1 Posted by NancyNash on May 14, 2008 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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