Inspectors found a 36-kilogram iguana stored in the freezer of a local pizza joint. I didn’t know iguanas are now a pizza topping option! The frozen iguana the inspectors from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation found was a personal gift to the owner, as AP News details:
The restaurant could not be reached for comment, but an employee told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the reptile was given as a personal gift to the owner. It was stored in a separate freezer away from the restaurant’s food and was immediately trashed after they were informed it was a violation.
Iguanas aren’t dangerous or aggressive to humans, but they damage seawalls, sidewalks, landscape foliage and can dig lengthy tunnels. The males can grow to at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weigh nearly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and female iguanas can lay nearly 80 eggs a year.
The reptile is considered a delicacy by some. One company even makes iguana sausages and burgers.
image via wikimedia commons