A Florida woman received a reptilian surprise when she went into her bathroom Saturday night.
Michelle Reynolds was in her home at Sheridan Street, Hollywood, Florida, when she decided at around 10:30 p.m. that it was time for a late-night snack.
“I came down last night at 10:30 to make my little treat, as I normally do, and I put it in the microwave and skipped on over to the bathroom,” Reynolds told WSVN-TV.
When she entered the bathroom, she was surprised by the sight of a lizard’s tail splashing about the toilet.
“Oh, my God, there’s an iguana in the toilet!” Reynolds told WSNV-TV. The reptile she encountered was the Mexican spiny tail iguana.
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Reynolds said that as soon as she saw the creature, she “did a quick turnaround” and “quickly shut the door,” WSVN reported.
Reynolds hired Harold Rondon of Iguana Lifestyles to get the creature out of her home.
Iguana Lifestyles is a pest-removal company based in Florida. According to its website, the company specializes in extricating iguanas, but also helps remove other animals such as “raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and ducks.”
Rondon arrived Sunday to remove the creature. “I just ran in with this pig stick that I have. It’s a little clamp,” he told WSVN-TV. “I was able to grab it and pull it right out.”
Soon, Rondon managed to remove the animal, clearing the toilet for anyone who wanted to use it.
“He took up most of the toilet bowl,” Reynolds told WSVN-TV, adding that the sight of the creature made her freeze and head upstairs.
Although legally not importable as a pet, black spiny-tail iguanas have spread themselves out across Florida, becoming one of Southern Florida’s most invasive species, according to pest-control company Wildlife Removal Services.
According to Wildlife Removal Services, tens of thousands of such iguanas inhabit the state.
“Black-spiny tailed iguanas enjoy warm temperatures and sandy areas,” the company’s fact sheet on the pest said. When cornered, these iguanas may bite, the fact sheet said.
“It only takes a few of these iguanas to be released into the wild for the population to bloom,” the company said.
“One female Ctenosaur is capable of producing hundreds of offspring in her lifetime.”
“Furthermore, sperm within the female Ctenosaur is viable for years, which allows her to continue laying fertilized eggs even without a male present,” the fact sheet stated.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
