'Can’t beat ’em, eat ’em': Netizens horrified as Florida TikToker cooks cold-stunned iguana for dinner

When temperatures dipped in Florida, social media lit up with videos of iguanas dropping from trees, a strange but well-documented cold-weather phenomenon in the Sunshine State. What few expected, however, was for one creator to turn the moment into dinner.

TikTok creator Gray Davis has gone viral after documenting what locals call “raining iguanas”, and then cooking one. His videos, which have racked up millions of views, show the cold-stunned reptiles lying motionless on the ground after frigid air slows their systems to a near standstill. Because iguanas are cold-blooded, sudden cold snaps can cause them to stiffen and lose their grip on branches. Though they may appear lifeless, many thaw and recover once temperatures rise.

Green iguanas are also classified as an invasive species in South Florida. During unusually cold weather, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has temporarily allowed residents to humanely kill and dispose of cold-stunned iguanas without a permit. Year-round, they can be humanely killed without a permit or hunting license on 32 public lands in South Florida.

Davis decided not to simply dispose of the animal he found.

“Whenever we have these cold fronts and they start falling down, a lot of people will go out and collect them to help control the number in the population,” he said in a video that has drawn more than 3.5 million views.

“But they do have the nickname ‘chicken of the trees’ because they’re absolutely delicious. So rather than let this one go to waste, we’re going to make tacos.”

He showed viewers the iguana he selected but did not film the process of humanely dispatching and cleaning it. During preparation, Davis said he discovered 20 eggs inside the animal. “so by removing this one iguana, we actually saved the environment from over 20 iguanas come spring,” he explained.

The cooking process was documented in detail. Davis simmered the iguana meat with onion, garlic, a bay leaf and salt. He soft-boiled the eggs and blended them with avocado, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and lime juice to create a sauce. After crisping the seasoned meat in a frying pan, he assembled the tacos.

“Now that right there is a Florida man taco,” he quipped. “If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em.”

The videos sparked a wave of reactions online, with many viewers expressing horror while others defended the sustainability argument. In a follow-up clip addressing the backlash, Davis acknowledged that the idea is not for everyone.

“I totally get if you just won’t eat an iguana taco, everybody has their limits, that’s fine,” he said.

“Rather than let the one that I found go to waste, I decided to make tacos,” he added. “And I would argue that it’s the most ethical taco you could possibly have.”