Small Lizard Leaves South Florida Homes Without Electricity

Pompano Beach, FL (AHN) - Godzilla, the overgrown Japanese lizard, wreaked a lot of havoc in those 1950s sci-fi movies. But even he couldn't match the destructive capability of a much smaller cousin in this southern Florida coastal community.

Some 20,000 homes lost power midday Thursday when an iguana shorted out high-voltage equipment operated by Florida Power and Light. Electricity was out for about half an hour. The iguana will be out for a much longer time.

"It's gone to a better place," a power company spokesman told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Iguanas are not native to Florida, but gained a foothold in the region as escaped or released pets. They can grow up to two feet in length. Estimates of their current population range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.