If you’ve lived in South Florida long enough, you have probably encountered an enormous prehistoric-looking iguana or a smaller green anole. But did you know that there are more than 6,000 types of lizards in the world?
Since Aug. 14 is World Lizard Day, it’s as good a time as any to learn more about the cold-blooded reptiles. Those big iguanas that fall out of trees when it gets too cold in Florida are not native to the state and are considered an invasive species. The males can grow up to five feet long and weigh up to 17 lbs. — that’s the size of a small dog!
The smallest species is the tiny nano-chameleon, which is only about 13 millimeters long. The largest is the venomous Komodo Dragon, which can grow to over 10 feet.
Florida has the most diverse community of non-native reptiles and amphibians anywhere in the world — 58 of them, according to the University of Miami (UM). Hawaii comes in second with just 32 species.
If you live in Palm Beach County, you probably have encountered the Northern curly-tailed lizard, which was first introduced to the area in the 1950s but has been steadily making its way south. They increased 22-fold in Miami-Dade County between 2017 and 2022, earning the title of the second fastest-spreading non-native reptile, according to UM.