June 26: Iguana2

So we were talking about iguanas. Those strangely appealing, oddly lovable lizards that have made South Florida their new home in recent years. In the previous blog, I was explaining something about my fascination with them. They're prehistoric looking, docile around humans, ultra fast on their feet, remarkable swimmers. Now I want to get into where you are likely to find them if you're visiting Fort Lauderdale. You'll see the little gecko and other smaller lizards without any effort. They're everywhere - on sidewalks, around outdoor bars, in parking lots. Everywhere. But the grand iguana may require a bit of looking, especially if you want to make sure you have your camera ready to snap away when you discover one of these creatures. If you're a tourist here, you really should bring home an iguana photo to prove what an exotic place you've just explored.

For starters, look for iguanas around fresh water. I don't recall seeing these lizards near the ocean in Fort Lauderdale now that I think about it. But I'll often stumble across one or two beside our many rivers or canals. You'll also find iguanas sunning themselves in some field or on a lawn. They're just like any other cold-blooded animal - they need the sun for heat.

More specifically, I have a few suggestions about where to go iguana-watching. If you happen to be on a boat motoring through the Intracoastal Waterway, keep an eye out when you go under the Sunrise Boulevard drawbridge on a sunny day. Normally, you'll float by several of them at this spot. I've often seen iguanas in Colee Hammock Park too, my favorite small park in South Florida. I stop by this place often to watch the boats and clear my head. When I'm there in the afternoon, I frequently see one or two sizable iguanas strolling the sea wall. Just turn south off Las Olas on to SE 15^th Avenue and go straight until the street ends at the park. But to my knowledge, the most reliable iguana location is Birch State Park, which is on the north side of Sunrise Boulevard near A1A. I've found them in large numbers during the hot afternoons, sometimes crowds of iguanas sitting not far inside the park entrance. Taking a Segway tour there is one way to increase your odds of running into iguanas. But you can drive or walk or bike or skate, whatever. If you get around Birch very much, you're almost certain to bump into some iguanas. And so there you have it - two blogs offering a Fort Lauderdale iguana primer. These lizards are only one part of the fauna and flora that help make South Florida so special for visitors. Of course, that's the opinion of someone who just called iguanas "lovable." Take it for what it's worth.