Iguanas

In South Florida, iguanas are everywhere on the ground near a tree! Due to how cold it is, the iguanas just fall off the trees.

Most are fine afterward, but it always appeared interesting to me. Did you know that iguanas burrow? The other spots you could find them in are bushes or trees! Iguanas are pretty good climbers with their claws (they hurt). They are invasive around here and also cause Salmonella. by Vivi

I have seen frozen iguanas in many places.  In Japan, iguanas are exotic animals and expensive pets. Japan has four seasons, and the winter is very cold.  Their owners have to maintain the proper temperature.

What comes to my mind about iguanas is the popular Japanese drama “Iguana Girl (Iguana no Musume イグアナの娘),” which aired in 1996. The original story is from the manga.

• Iguana no musume (TV Series 1996– ) – IMDb
• A Mother Who Rather Die Than Hugging Her Own Child! (Youtube)

Rika was the eldest of two sisters. She was a smart and beautiful girl. But her mother saw her as an iguana and always favored the younger sister.

Rika graduated from university and married. She gave birth, but she couldn’t love her baby. One day, her mother suddenly died. For the funeral, she returned home and was shocked to see her mother’s face looked like an iguana.

The story continues, but I stop here. I watched all the episodes. When I watched the drama for the first time, I was a middle school student. I didn’t understand why Rika was hated by her mother.

I found out later that the creator had family troubles, particularly with her mother. To heal from childhood trauma, she became a manga artist.

Photos by LILI

@liliflorida on Tumblr