Wildlife

Florida Scientists Are Running Around at Night Bashing in Iguanas' Skulls

A team of scientists in Florida are on a three-month, $63,000 iguana-bashing spree. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contracted the 15-member crew from the University of Florida to develop a set of best practices for killing the big lizards . So far, bashing their heads in seems to be a winning method.

Iguanas, native to South America, are an invasive species in Florida, , according to invasive iguana researchers. They feed on local plants and wildlife, the Sun-Sentinel reported, and may indirectly contribute to erosion.

Head bashing may be "gruesome," the researchers told the Sun-Sentinel, but it's also the most humane of the effective methods they've come up with. Simply chopping the lizards' heads off turns out to be less humane, and the traps the team set have thus far only captured raccoons. Working in teams of two, sneaking up on the lizards in the dead of night and bashing 'em seems to be the best method.