HERALD TRIBUNE (Sarasota, Florida) 09 June 06 Reptile invaders not iguana go away (Kevin Dale)
Charlotte County: Much like the unwanted guests they are, iguanas will remain on Gasparilla Island despite efforts to rid the community of its infamous mascot, according to an animal-control expert.
"It's going to be a permanent problem," said University of Florida professor William Kern, a specialist in controlling nuisance animals.
In the past five years, the number of black spiny-tail iguanas grew from 2,000 to 10,000, 10 times the number of full-time residents on this island, also known as Boca Grande.
While islanders and iguanas have coexisted for 30 years, the past year has seen a groundswell of anti-iguana feeling.
No longer considered a quirky island feature, the iguanas have reached a crisis point in the opinion of many residents. Iguanas scurry in front of golf carts, crawl into Spanish tile roofs and snack on the landscaping of this affluent community.
Sentiment is building for a large-scale removal effort, and the topic of recent meetings has been how best to kill the reptiles.
Residents have talked about various strategies, ranging from iguana vasectomies to a sort of round-up in which bands of residents shoot the reptiles with pellet guns, as some are already doing.
During a county "iguana workshop" Thursday, Kern and wildlife experts rejected many of those methods and suggested a more professional approach.
Kern said a removal effort, in which experts use cage traps and wire snares, could remove as many as 8,000 of the reptiles. Such a project could cost at least $100,000 and could take months, Kern said.
But he said a population of iguanas will always find refuge on the island, where they have no predators and plenty of plants on which to feast.
"I'm willing to bet they could at least bring it down to 2,000," Kern said.
Referencing the notoriety the creatures have brought the island, Kern joked: "You guys are getting famous. I'd have an iguana stew festival."
A recent study by Florida Gulf Coast University professor Jerome Jackson said the iguanas, which range from 18 inches to a couple of feet, were threatening the dunes with their extensive burrows.
Jackson has said the reptiles, believed to have been brought to the island in the 1970s as pets, also feast on the island's native plants and the eggs of sea turtles and shore birds.
Most of Gasparilla Island is in Lee County, but the northern portion in Charlotte County.
Charlotte County is just beginning to examine the iguana problem, and the two counties appear to be inching toward a removal program.
"Charlotte County recognizes we have to look at it," said county environmental specialist Missy Christie. "What we're going to do, we don't know."
Thursday's workshop was designed to get Charlotte County talking about the iguana infestation; it included staff and residents from both counties.
Lee County is moving ahead of its neighboring county; in March, Lee County approved a special island taxing district to design a removal program and figure out how much it would cost island taxpayers.
Members of the taxing district have only held one meeting and, to date, no single eradication method has been selected.
On Thursday, Kern said shooting the iguanas would be both costly and inefficient, not to mention hazardous.
Another strategy, a massive trapping effort conducted by residents, was met with lukewarm support at the workshop.
"To have any chance of control, you have to have professionals do it," said Kevin Kemp, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. "You're talking about animals that aren't real fun to deal with, even if they're in the trap."
As its name suggests, the black spiny-tail iguana, has a rasp-like tail that it uses to ward off predators.
"I've handled iguanas. I'm a professional wildlife biologist, and I don't want to handle iguanas," he said.
Kemp suggested the island hire professional trappers with the U.S Department of Agriculture.
If you have residents instead of experienced experts capture the iguanas, Kemp said, "You're wasting your time and your money."
County staff also brought up some of the drawbacks to a resident-run trapping program.
Once the residents lay a trap, they would have to check it every 24 hours, a difficult routine to keep on an island with a large seasonal population.
Animal cruelty laws forbid residents from leaving animals, even invasive ones, in traps for more than 24 hours, said Kern, the UF professor.
Another dilemma would be how to remove iguanas trapped by residents. Animal control departments in both counties don't have the staff to go on lengthy iguana pick-up runs to the remote island every day.
"Certainly, if we're going to have 50 to 60 a week, it's going to be a problem," said Keith Larson, director of Charlotte County Animal Services.
Plus, the resident trappers would have to ensure the iguana stayed alive, or animal control wouldn't respond.
Said Larson: "We're not going to come out for a dead iguana."
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