Few Solutions

Snares can be effective for catching feral iguanas, especially along sea walls and narrow passages through which they travel.

Though Florida law only requires checking a snare trap once per 24-hour period, a strong recommendation is that you do so several times a day. Leaving an iguana tangled up in a snare for a prolonged period could be considered inhumane, and leaving an iguana to bake in the hot Florida sun is definitely inhumane. If you cannot monitor a snare during the day, such as during the work week, then consider not using this method or use it only on the weekend.

Small feral green iguana caught in snare along the C-15 canal between Delray Beach and Boca Raton, FL.

Notice the use of gloves and the position of the grip, just in front of the back legs.

Click on image for larger view.

Furthermore, do not leave snares engaged at night! Iguanas are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daylight hours. Disengaging snares overnight will keep unwanted nocturnal animals, like opossums, from being trapped.

You can learn more about this technique and obtain customized snares at IguanaTrap.com.

Live traps are also effective for catching iguanas, and probably the least involved of the methods listed here. That said, commercial traps may be too expensive for many people.

If you are budget constrained then you should consider building a relatively cheap snare-based live trap like this one:

Close up of D-I-Y snare trap.

Click on image for larger view.

Materials for building a snare-based live trap:

• 2' long 2"x8" lumber for trap base (8' long gives four (4) 2' bases)
• 24" wide flexible plastic fencing (better and safer than chicken wire)
• Eight screws with washers, four each side (or use heavy-duty staples)
• Two snares, one at each end (or double up if you like)

Three identical D-I-Y snare traps ready for action.

Click on image for larger view.

Live traps can be baited with ripe (even rotting) fruit such as bananas (including the peels) and mangos. Another effective fruit is watermelon (including the rind). Leafy vegetables like lettuce and greens can also be used though fruit will be a more effective attractant because of the odor. (Despite the fact that hibiscus bushes and many other flowering plants are favorite targets for iguanas, flowers from such plants do not seem to produce good results when used for bait in live traps.)

Large iguana caught using D-I-Y snare trap baited with banana.

Note that the trap is tethered to the base of a tree.

Click on image for larger view.

For the D-I-Y trap described here, place the bait in the very center atop the wooden base. The design allows the iguana to enter from either end, and if the snare on the entry side does not engage then there is still a chance the exit snare will.

Furthermore, do not leave live traps engaged at night! Iguanas are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daylight hours. Disengaging live traps overnight will keep unwanted nocturnal animals, like opossums, from being trapped.

For large iguanas a noose pole may be the best capture method, though this technique is definitely not for everyone. You will be dealing with larger iguanas that can inflict serious injury. If you have any doubts then do not try this method!

The following series of (mostly poor quality) photos depict the use of a noose pole for capturing a nearly five-foot long iguana.

(1) Iguana basking in morning sun.	(2) First noosing attempt fails.
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(3) Second noosing attempt succeeds.	(4) Iguana jumps into the water.
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(5) Iguana is safely netted.	(6) Iguana is landed unharmed.
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Commercial noose poles are available but they are probably not suitable for catching iguanas. Two much-needed qualities are a strong, slack line and a long, flexible housing. You can build a D-I-Y noose pole very inexpensively.

Simple, effective long D-I-Y noose pole.	Simple, effective short D-I-Y noose pole.
Click on image for larger view.

Materials for building a long noose pole:

• 10' long 1/2" PVC pipe
• 15' of heavy monofilament fishing line
• Small “handle”

Handle made from plastic hose.	Fishing line through small hole.
Other materials will work too.	The slip knot acts as a stopper.
Click on image for larger view.

Extensions can be added for dealing with iguanas just out of reach. 12' is probably the maximum usable length (but those additional 2' can often times make the difference between success and failure). A short noose pole, around 3' in length, is handy for use in tight quarters such as below the deck of a boat.

As you can imagine, killing animals—especially iguanas—can be a very controversial and potentially explosive topic. However, reading this entire section may result in a better understanding as to why it must be done. Most cities and counties in South Florida offer animal care and control services and, unfortunately, much too often that “care and control” results in humane euthanasia. The fact is that there are just too many unwanted cats and dogs, and in this case there are way too many feral iguanas (i.e., nuisance exotic lizards).

Once you catch an iguana you have limited choices in the State of Florida:

• keep it as a pet (and not release it later)
• give it to someone else who will keep it as a pet (and not release it later)
• humanely euthanize the animal

In any case, do not relocate the animal! Not only is releasing captured iguanas against the law in Florida but doing so makes you part of the problem.

Keeping feral iguanas as pets is beyond the scope of this website but suffice it to say that it is a futile choice considering their countless numbers. Besides, “pet” and “iguana” do not always go together: “Iguana Banished to Fend for Itself.” So be sure to do some serious research before taking on an iguana as a pet, then be totally honest with yourself as to your ability and desire to follow through to “the end.” A good place to start would be “Are you prepared to own an iguana?” provided by Green Iguana Society. Should you decide that an iguana is the pet for you then learn how to properly care for the animal. Please consider visiting websites such as the constantly updated Melissa Kaplan’s Herp Care Collection as well as purchasing instructional materials such as those available at Iguana Secrets.

Some may ask, “Why not take the captured feral iguanas to a sanctuary?” While this approach may seem sympathetic at first, after giving it some thought simple logic proves it to be a mistake. The fact is that there will always be an endless population of these nuisance exotic lizards in South Florida and if the sanctuaries are filled up with feral animals then there will be no room to accommodate the tamed and domesticated pets which will most likely become too much for their owners to handle. Iguana sanctuaries should be exclusive to unwanted or unruly pets which can later be visited by their former owners.

There are a finite number of sanctuaries and would-be pet owners yet there are an infinite number of feral iguanas in South Florida. If you do the math then you must agree that euthanizing feral iguanas is simply a matter of fact here and now. Like it or not, that is just the way it is.

Others may ask, “Why not ship the feral iguanas to the countries where they are threatened or endangered?” While at first that seemed like the ideal solution, the prospect was researched heavily and found to be unacceptable. The feral iguanas in South Florida are no longer an “exact match” genetically to their native cousins; those countries do not want our “hybrid” feral lizards because that would taint their “pure breed” native iguana populations.

Please consider this objective opinion from someone who cares very deeply for iguanas:

Mr. Wasilewski’s rationale is clearly the result of difficult but realistic reasoning. He may not be able to kill them but he, a leader of an organization that is committed to the preservation of iguanas in their native habitats, admits that someone must do so; in this case that someone is you—either directly or indirectly.

The best practice is to humanely euthanize the iguanas as soon as possible. In the interim you have a legal obligation to exhibit humane treatment at all times. Be sure to keep larger males separated individually and to feed all the iguanas at least once a day. For all intents and purposes the captives should be considered “pets” while in your possession.

The simplest euthanasia route is to take the iguanas to your city or county animal care and control facility during normal business hours. Be sure to make arrangements ahead of time.

Small feral green iguana inside plastic cage and ready for transport to animal care and control.

Using a see-through container allows the receiving party to assess the size of the animal.

Be sure to make (e.g., drill) several small holes in the lid of whatever container you use.

Click on image for larger view.

The lizards will receive a lethal injection, the same as unwanted pets and other feral animals.

An alternative for euthanasia, though more involved, is freezing. This method is considered legal and humane for iguanas in the State of Florida per FWC’s official stance made public by their Head Legal Officer:

Even Mother Nature uses freezing to keep the feral iguanas’ northern trek in check. That fact is the basis of FWC’s reasoning on citing freezing as a humane method of euthanasia.

The frozen (or thawed) carcasses can be discarded with household waste. Do not throw them into a canal, lake or the intra-coastal waterway.

If freezing is unacceptable or impractical then you can learn about other methods of euthanasia in a PDF file from the American Veterinary Medical Association: 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia. The document is long (i.e., thorough) and may be difficult to understand at times but focus on the sections which cover reptiles and you will get an idea of alternate methods for euthanizing iguanas. Note, however, that almost all of these alternate methods require a licence, proper training or both.

Finally, if any or all of this is just too much for you then consider your best option.