Florida man finds iguana hiding in toilet

Lizards in US state appear in many places now their primary mating season is over

The iguana found in a Florida man's toilet bowl. Photo: @BobbyDonWelch / Twitter

A Florida man lifted his toilet seat after hearing a splashing sound coming from his bathroom, and discovered an iguana lurking in the toilet bowl.

“I look down and I see this frightened-looking reptile looking back at me,” John Riddle, a resident in Hollywood, about 35km north of Miami, told The Orlando Sentinel.

When his initial attempt at fishing the iguana out of the toilet using a pool net failed, Mr Riddle tried to grab the iguana by the tail.

But the reptile “went all the way into the toilet, into the pipe – I couldn’t see any of him”, he said.

Mr Riddle then set up a baby gate so the iguana would be contained in the bathroom.

He called an iguana removal service and, after returning to the bathroom, found the lizard had climbed out of the toilet bowl and was behind the tank.

Mr Riddle said he used the pool net to shoo the iguana out of his house.

Lizards in Florida are likely to appear in all sorts of places now their primary mating season is over and temperatures are rising.

Blake Wilkins, co-owner of an iguana removal service in Florida, told the Sentinal that this was the time of year iguana activity increased.