Unusually cold temperatures are making iguanas tumble down from trees in Florida

An iguana that fell from a tree in Florida.
(Image credit: Juan Castro/AFP/Getty Images)

If you think you're cold, at least you're not an iguana in Florida.

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The cold-blooded creatures aren't used to the unusually chilly temperatures taking over the state right now, and when they get too frigid, their systems shut down. Those perched in trees are falling down, but experts say not to fret, as the iguanas are not dead, and once they're warmer, they get back up.

They aren't the only ones struggling. Sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are being stunned by cold waters, causing them to float and making it easier for predators to catch them. The National Park Service said that by mid-day Tuesday, it had already rescued 41 freezing turtles, The Guardian reports. On Cape Cod, three thresher sharks were found stranded on the beach, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said. Two had "cold shock," and one was frozen solid.

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Even penguins aren't safe in extreme cold — the Calgary Zoo said over the weekend it needed to bring its king penguins inside to escape the -13 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.