Iguana lays more than two dozen eggs in Miami resort swimming pool

A female iguana was found stuck inside of a water slide jet at a Florida resort after she laid more than two dozen eggs that ended up at the bottom of a swimming pool. 

On Friday, Michael Ronquillo, the owner of Humane Iguana Control, arrived at an unnamed resort in Miami after he was contacted about the mother and her babies. 

'Upon our arrival, the iguana escaped, leaving behind 30 eggs in the swimming pool. We've received calls about iguanas nesting in unusual places like pools, under artificial turf, and cars,' Ronquillo told Fox News. 

Ronquillo said that his team have 'no idea' how the iguana and her eggs got trapped in the slide and pool. 

Humane Iguana Control told DailyMail.com that the mother escaped from the jet while the eggs had to be 'dispatched due to iguanas being an invasive species.' 

A female iguana is seen trapped inside of a pool water slide jet at a local resort in Miami, Florida. Her legs and claws are seen through the holes 

Michael Roquillo, the owner of Human Iguana Control, said that his team have 'no idea' how the iguana and her eggs got trapped in the slide and pool

Commenters flocked to social media and reacted to the odd discovery, as one said: 'Needed a place to lay her eggs. We have lots of iguanas in Florida, but this would freak me out.' 

Another jokingly said: 'Even iguanas have to go on vacation...' 

Pictures showed the eggs sprawled across the pool floor, close to the drain, as another shot showed the large female iguana trapped inside the water slide jet. 

Her legs hung out of the holes in the jet, as Ronquillo said that his team believes that the mother was 'trying to lay eggs in there.' 

'Female iguanas are very active during the breeding season and you will find them in random places,' he said in a post about the bizarre find on Instagram. 

Another clip showed the experts looking inside the pool pipe with an endoscopy camera to 'make sure' the iguana was not trapped in there. 

Toward the end of the video, Ronquillo showed the collection of eggs that his crew rescued from the bottom of the pool. 

'We're not really sure how the iguana laid them on the slide, or that area, and how they ended up in the pool,' Ronquillo said. 

Mating season for the reptiles typically runs from February to March, and Ronquillo said that females are known to lay 'up to 70 eggs annually.' 

Iguanas are some of the largest lizards found in the US as their tails make up about half of their length, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. 

Roquillo discovered 30 iguana eggs at the bottom of the pool, near where the female lizard was found 

Another clip showed the experts looking inside the pool pipe with an endoscopy camera as they wanted to 'make sure' the iguana was not trapped in there

The reptiles are native to Central America and some eastern Caribbean islands, and they first arrived in Florida in the 1960s.

Since then, their population has been steadily rising. Iguanas are known to get into sewer systems and are strong swimmers. 

In recent years, the invasive reptiles have made their way to the Sunshine State and have been blamed for causing damage to buildings and power outages.

It is also extremely dangerous to approach iguanas in the wild. 

'Directly addressing iguanas can pose bodily harm and health risks due to their sharp nails, teeth, and tail whips reaching speeds of 30 mph,' Ronquillo said. 

Ronquillo also stressed that if an iguana or iguana eggs are seen in a body of water, like a swimming pool, experts should be contacted as pools can cause 'health risks' for the babies. 

He added that iguanas are known to carry serious diseases and critters like salmonella, ticks and mites. 

Wildlife experts have warned that iguanas can transmit salmonella to pets and cause erosion near lakes and canals, and when temperatures fall, the National Weather Service in Miami has been known to issue falling iguana advisories. 

In recent years, the invasive reptiles have made their way to the Sunshine State and have been blamed for causing damage to buildings and power outages. (pictured: A green iguana in dangling from the air in cold weather) 

In May 2023, a Florida man, John Ride, 58, got the surprise of his life when he noticed his toilet was occupied by a furious iguana

When it gets cold, below 40 degrees, the critters go into a sort of suspended animation mode and fall to the ground. They usually wake up in the sun's warmth. 

In May 2023, a Florida man, John Ride, 58, got the surprise of his life when he noticed his toilet was occupied by a furious iguana. 

The scaled intruder seemed as stunned as Riddle as it began to hiss angrily at him, turning its head towards his camera for a menacing photo. 

'I walked in my bathroom and found Godzilla in my toilet,' Riddle said.

'He didn’t seem at all pleased and started splashing and hissing at me.'

Before Riddle could finally use the bathroom, he grabbed a net he uses to clean out his pool and removed the unwelcome visitor.

'I guess I won’t be leaving the door open for the dogs anymore,' he added.