Taxidermist is left stunned after frozen iguanas start dropping out of trees in Florida

An animal-lover has filmed himself collecting iguanas that have frozen and fallen out of palm trees due to Storm Elliott blasting Florida.

Brendan Denuyl, 29, filmed himself with the iguanas in his arms in Pembroke Pines, South Florida, as they seized up during the killer cold snap.

Iguanas are naturally cold-blooded and rely on heat from the sun and their surroundings. When temperatures drop below 10C they become immobile.

Brendan, who works as a taxidermist, said he was out fishing on Christmas night, which happened to be the coldest night of the year. 

Brendan Denuyl (pictured), 29, filmed himself collecting an array of iguanas in Pembroke Pines, South Florida

He said: ‘Iguanas literally started dropping out of the trees.

‘I dropped my fishing rod and started gathering them as others were still falling to my left and right.

‘Once I had a good handful and a few more on the ground next to me, I made a video showing people how these iguanas in south Florida react when temperatures dropped.’

Brendan, who works as a grey taxidermist, said: ‘Iguanas literally started dropping out of the trees. I dropped my fishing rod and started gathering them as others were still falling to my left and right’

Brendan noted there are also snakes freezing in the middle of the road. 

He said: ‘Most snakes and lizards down here will find a near road to bask on throughout the year.

‘However, when temperatures dropped to 40 degrees they freeze up on those roads and can’t escape or even move.’

Brendan added that he does not like it when the state is cold.

Brendan said: ‘Once I had a good handful and a few more on the ground next to me, I made a video showing people how these iguanas in south Florida react when temperatures dropped’

He said: ‘We live in a state where there is one season all year – summer.

‘So when we have just one week that it gets super-cold, we all get sick, lips get chapped, and nobody wants to leave the house.

‘I still did because I’m an outdoorsman, but it definitely affects all life in south Florida.’

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation issued a statement explaining that the creatures only go into a temporary state of paralysis.

Pictured: A Buffalo  neighborhood is blanketed in a thick layer of snow and ice after the storm

They discouraged people from letting them into their homes as they are able to return to their normal state naturally. 

Storm Elliott has seen blizzards, icy rain, whiteouts, and strong winds stretching from the Canadian border south to the Rio Grande, Gulf Coast and central Florida, and from the Pacific Northwest to the Eastern Seaboard.

The death toll rose to at least 61 on Thursday, officials said.

Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said two more deaths had been reported in the western New York region that bore the brunt of the historic storm, bringing the total in that area to 39.

Pictured: A general view of snow covered vehicles in Buffalo following the winter storm that has rocked the United States 

Roads reopened Thursday in Buffalo as authorities continued searching for people who may have died or are stuck and suffering after last week’s blizzard.

The driving ban in New York’s second-most-populous city was lifted just after midnight Thursday, Mayor Byron Brown announced.

‘Significant progress has been made’ on snow removal, Brown said at a news conference late Wednesday.