People are really selling iguana meat dubbed 'chicken of the trees' on Facebook
You can buy almost anything on Facebook Marketplace these days.
People list their cars, plants, homes and more in the hopes of making some extra cash. And now, you buy a peculiar protein dubbed "chicken of the trees."
Iguana meat, or "garrobo" as the Miami Herald notes, has cropped up on Facebook's digital flea market following an extremely cold night in Florida. Apparently, the reptiles fall from the trees when temperatures get frigid enough, making them easy for people to catch, skin and sell as a chicken alternative.
"This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees," the National Weather Center tweeted on Tuesday when temperatures dropped into the 30s overnight. "They may fall from the trees, but they are not dead."
The green reptiles are cold-blooded, so they have no internal control over their body temperature. They get sluggish when the temperature drops to near freezing. And eventually, they become immobile, release their grip on branches and fall from the trees.
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Jan 21 - This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020
"That apparently makes them easy pickings for backyard harvesters," the Miami Herald reports.
At least two new listings of iguana meat appeared on Facebook in the Miami area this week. One was listed under "pet supplies" and showed the animals lined up. The other appeared to show a freshly dead (or asleep) lizard alongside various seasonings.
Garrobo is a delicacy in parts of central and South America.
Ewww can you believe you can buy iguana meat on Facebook market for $1 !!! 🤢🤢🤢 pic.twitter.com/VMYDSQHq32
— KRIS (@YO_namesKRiS) January 22, 2020
People on Twitter can't believe that you can actually purchase chopped up lizards on Facebook. "Wait, people out here really buying iguana meat online?" tweeted @Chrisallini.
You know it’s cold when Facebook Marketplace got garrobo meat for sale #BecauseMiami #ChickenOfTheTrees pic.twitter.com/4SOECovESa
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) January 22, 2020
"Chicken of the trees? I thought it was Chicken of the Seas??" @Haypo tweeted.
In case you were wondering, some say iguanas actually taste like chicken.
"Not to be cliche, but they tasted like chicken," @aaronmphillips tweeted. "A reminder Floridians: Iguanas are called “Chicken of the Trees” for a reason. Bon Appétit," @D1Maingot said.
In Puerto Rico we have a lizard that we call "chicken of the trees" because they taste just like chicken and there's no way to tell one from the other when diced and cooked. They have a drier texture to it but not that much.
— J.S. Fernández Morales (@JSFernndezMora1) September 20, 2019
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Forget chicken of the sea! Iguana meat is 'chicken of the trees'