Florida
Iguana Found Stuck in Florida's Resort Water Slide Alongside 30 Eggs in 'Unusual' Removal Job
A female iguana is free again after an “unusual” encounter with a water slide.
On April 19, Humane Iguana Control, an iguana removal company in southern Florida, received a call about a female iguana found inside a pool slide jet at a Miami-Dade resort. The resort also found numerous iguana eggs at the bottom of the pool connected to the slide.
“When we got the call, we dropped everything we were doing and rushed to the location,” Michael Ronquillo from Humane Iguana Control told WFLA. Humane Iguana Control also shared photos and videos from the incident on Facebook, noting that the slide situation was “a first for us.”
“This was one of the most unusual iguana removal jobs we have come across,” Humane Iguana Control shared in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
Courtesy of Humane Iguana Control
“Upon arrival, the iguana managed to find its way out of the jet, and we were able to remove the iguana eggs swiftly. We’re not sure how the iguana eggs ended up in that pool! During this time of year, which is breeding season, female iguanas will lay their eggs in burrows, but at times, they will randomly lay their eggs in strange places,” the company added.
On social media, Humane Iguana Control shared photos of the iguana eggs its employees found scattered underwater at the bottom of the pool and a shot of the iguana trapped inside the pool slide.
In its Facebook video, Humane Iguana Control noted that employees checked the pool’s pipes with an endoscopy camera “to make sure” all creatures were cleared from the area before gathering the eggs.
Humane Iguana Control collected around 30 iguana eggs from the pool. Ronquillo told WSVN that it is unclear how the eggs ended up in the pool while the iguana was in the slide, but he shared a theory.
“Our guess is [the iguana laid] them around the slide area, and the eggs just rolled down from the slide, so that’s pretty much how they ended up in that area,” he said.
In its statement to PEOPLE, Humane Iguana Control noted the iguanas, an invasive species in Florida, are a common problem in South Florida, “just like roaches would be throughout the USA.”
Courtesy of Humane Iguana Control
“You will most likely come across an iguana in or around your property, and no property is safe from this invasive species,” Humane Iguana Control shared about the situation in South Florida.
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Humane Iguana Control also recommended that Florida residents do not try to remove iguanas from their homes alone.
“If you do not have experience handling these reptiles, you may get injured due to their sharp nails and teeth; also, their tails can whip at speeds of 30 mph! If you come across an iguana burrow, you should not cover it until it is inspected for iguanas and their eggs,” the company advised.
To learn more about iguanas and how to handle encounters with these reptiles, visit Humane Iguana Control’s website.
Florida
South Florida powers clash in dramatic championship matchups: High School Hightlights
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Florida
Read Florida’s lawsuit against Roblox
The Florida Attorney General’s Office on Thursday, Dec. 11, filed a lawsuit against popular online gaming platform Roblox, accusing the company of failing to protect its millions of underage users from predatory adults who would “find, groom, and abuse children.”
“Roblox aggressively markets to young children, but fails to protect them from sexual predators,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a post to X. “As a father of three little ones and as Florida’s attorney general, my number one priority is simple: to protect our kids.”
The lawsuit claims Florida children have been talked into taking and sending sexual images of themselves and lists several recent incidences, including a 20-year-old California man arrested last month for having sexually explicit conversations with a Palm Coast child and asking for nude photos.
A Roblox spokesperson said the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works.”
“We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications,” Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said in a statement, adding that the company — currently the most downloaded game in the world — will be rolling out additional safeguards “beyond what is required by law and what other platforms do.”
Read Florida’s lawsuit against Roblox
Can’t see the embedded document? Click here.
What is Roblox?
San Mateo, California-based Roblox, released in 2006, hosts millions of user-created games (or “experiences”) constructed with the platform’s built-in game engine. Any user can create a game and share it with others, and there are millions of games available of all types.
The game platform and most games are free to use, but some cost to play. There is also a thriving economy based on Robux, an in-game virtual currency used to purchase virtual items. Roblox offers a subscription service called Roblox Premium that provides access to more features and a monthly allowance of Roblox.
Voice chat is available, but only for users aged 13 or older with verified ages. Age ratings were introduced for games in 2022, and in 2023, 17+ games were permitted to include more graphic violence, romance, and drinking.
According to Roblox, as of 2020, the monthly playerbase included half of all American children under the age of 16.
Florida
Florida’s complete 2026 football schedule unveiled
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 2026 football schedule for the Florida Gators has been set. Next year’s slate was unveiled Thursday night on SEC Network.
The most notable dates are Florida’s SEC opener on Sept. 19 — a Week 3 trip to Auburn, where the Gators haven’t played since 2011 — along with a road game at Texas on Oct. 17 and home games against Ole Miss (Sept. 26) and Oklahoma (Nov. 7).
Next season will mark the Sooners’ first-ever visit to Gainesville. The teams have previously played twice in the postseason, with the Gators defeating Oklahoma 24-14 in their first-ever meeting to win the 2008 national championship.
The Gators open the season in The Swamp on Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic. UF’s other non-conference opponents will be Campbell (Sept. 12) and at Florida State (Nov. 28).
Florida is also hosting South Carolina (Oct. 10) and Vanderbilt (Nov. 21). The Gators haven’t played the Gamecocks or the Commodores since 2023.
UF takes on Georgia in Atlanta on Oct. 31 after the bye week. Florida’s other road games are Missouri (Oct. 3), Texas (Oct. 17) and Kentucky (Nov. 14).
The Gators will be led by first-year coach Jon Sumrall. He won the American Conference title with Tulane last week and has the Green Wave in the College Football Playoffs. They will have a rematch against Ole Miss on Dec. 20 in the first round after losing in Oxford, 45-10, on Sept. 20.
Sumrall was back in Gainesville this week to assemble his staff. So far, he has hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, defensive coordinator Brade White and defensive line coach Gerald Chatman.
Date
Opponent
Location
Sept. 5
Florida Atlantic
Gainesville, Florida
Sept. 12
Campbell
Gainesville, Florida
Sept. 19
at Auburn
Auburn, Alabama
Sept. 26
Ole Miss
Gainesville, Florida
Oct. 3
at Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Oct. 10
South Carolina
Gainesville, Florida
Oct. 17
at Texas
Austin, Texas
Oct. 24
Bye
Oct. 31
Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Nov. 7
Oklahoma
Gainesville, Florida
Nov. 14
at Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Nov. 21
Vanderbilt
Gainesville, Florida
Nov. 28
at Florida State
Tallahassee, Florida
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