A female iguana was found trapped inside a water slide at a Florida resort after laying more than two dozen eggs that ended up at the bottom of a swimming pool.
On Friday, Michael Ronquillo, the owner of Humane Iguana Control, arrived at an unnamed resort in Miami after being contacted about the mother and her babies.
“When we arrived, the iguana escaped, leaving 30 eggs behind in the pool. We have received calls about iguanas nesting in unusual places like swimming pools, under artificial grass and cars,” Ronquillo told Fox News.
Ronquillo said his team had “no idea” how the iguana and its eggs got stuck in the slide and pool.
Humane Iguana Control told DailyMail.com that the mother escaped from the jet while the eggs had to be “shipped because the iguanas were an invasive species.”
A female iguana is seen stuck inside a water slide jet at a local resort in Miami, Florida. Its paws and claws are visible through the holes
Michael Roquillo, owner of Human Iguana Control, said his team had “no idea” how the iguana and its eggs got stuck in the slide and pool.
Commenters flocked to social media and reacted to the strange discovery, with one commenting: “Needed a place to lay eggs. We have a lot of iguanas in Florida, but that would freak me out.
Another joked: “Even iguanas have to go on vacation…”
Photos showed the eggs spread out on the bottom of the pool, near the drain, while another photo showed the large female iguana trapped inside the slide’s jet.
Her legs were dangling out of the jet’s holes, as Ronquillo said his team believed the mother was “trying to lay eggs there.”
“Female iguanas are very active during breeding season and you’ll find them in random places,” he said in a post about the bizarre discovery on Instagram.
Another clip showed the experts looking inside the pool pipe with an endoscopy camera to “make sure” the iguana was not trapped there.
Towards the end of the video, Ronquillo showed off the collection of eggs his team had recovered from the bottom of the pool.
“We don’t really know how the iguana dropped them on the slide, or in that area, or how they ended up in the pool,” Ronquillo said.
Mating season for reptiles typically runs from February to March, and Ronquillo said females are known to lay “up to 70 eggs per year.”
Iguanas are among the largest lizards found in the United States, as their tails are about half their length, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Roquillo discovered 30 iguana eggs at the bottom of the pool, near where the female lizard was found
Another clip showed the experts looking inside the pool pipe with an endoscopy camera as they wanted to “make sure” the iguana was not trapped there.
The reptiles are native to Central America and some eastern Caribbean islands and first arrived in Florida in the 1960s.
Since then, their population has continued to increase. Iguanas are known to enter sewer systems and are good swimmers.
In recent years, the invasive reptiles have made their way to the Sunshine State and have been blamed for causing building damage and power outages.
It is also extremely dangerous to approach iguanas in the wild.
“Directly attacking iguanas can pose bodily injury and health risks due to their sharp nails, teeth and tail whips reaching speeds of 30 mph,” Ronquillo said.
Ronquillo also stressed that if an iguana or iguana eggs are seen in a body of water, such as a swimming pool, experts should be contacted because swimming pools can pose “health risks” to babies.
He added that iguanas are known to carry serious diseases and creatures like salmonella, ticks and mites.
Wildlife experts have warned that iguanas can transmit salmonella to pets and cause erosion near lakes and canals, and when temperatures drop, the National Weather Service in Miami has been known to issue fall advisories iguanas.
In recent years, the invasive reptiles have made their way to the Sunshine State and have been blamed for causing building damage and power outages. (pictured: a green iguana hanging in the air in cold weather)
In May 2023, Florida man John Ride, 58, got the surprise of his life when he noticed his toilet was occupied by an angry iguana.
When it gets cold, below 40 degrees, the creatures enter a sort of suspended animation mode and fall to the ground. They usually wake up in the heat of the sun.
In May 2023, Florida man John Ride, 58, got the surprise of his life when he noticed his toilet was occupied by an angry iguana.
The scaled intruder seemed as stunned as Riddle as he began hissing angrily at him, turning his head towards his camera for a menacing photo.
“I walked into my bathroom and found Godzilla in my toilet,” Riddle said.
“He didn’t look happy at all and started splashing and hissing at me.”
Before Riddle could finally use the bathroom, he grabbed a net he uses to clean his pool and removed the unwanted visitor.
“I guess I won’t leave the door open for the dogs anymore,” he added.
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