Iguana Nest Boxes Recommended for Florida Keys Control
Health and safety risks from non-native iguanas in south Florida have prompted a University of Florida researcher and his team to recommend widespread use of artificial nest boxes to control the reptiles’ population growth.
Homeowners and property managers have grown weary of green iguanas eating shrubs and damaging foundations and seawalls with subterranean nests and tunnels. The 3- to 5-foot-long lizards also create human health risks by defecating in swimming pools and on sidewalks, docks and moored boats, and endanger drivers when crossing or basking on roads.
The nest boxes are designed to humanely capture the troublesome lizards and their eggs, said Florida Museum of Natural History herpetologist Kenneth Krysko, lead author of a study published in the September edition of Iguana: Conservation, Natural History and Husbandry of Reptiles. This is the first study to describe the natural history of the green iguana (Iguana iguana) and its expanding geographic range in south Florida. The lizards are native to central America down to Brazil and the Caribbean Islands.
“Extensive use of artificial nest boxes by private property owners and land managers could potentially make a big dent in their population,” Krysko said. Read more »