AS RESIDENTS of an upmarket community in Florida, they are perhaps more at home clutching cocktails than airguns. But after their island was overrun by 10,000 ill-tempered reptiles, the people of Boca Grande took up arms.

Outnumbered ten to one by spiny black-tailed iguanas — a non-native species with a big appetite and a bad attitude — citizens of the formerly serene town on Gasparilla Island are engaged in a furious turf battle to try to reclaim their homes, gardens and beaches from the prehistoric-looking interlopers.

“I think the iguanas may have met their match in the people of Boca Grande,” Bill Sweetser, an animal trapper on the mainland, said. He recently set up a service, Iguanagon, in response to the problem. “It’s war down there.”

Bonnie McGee, 60, who keeps a pellet gun at her back door, acknowledged that she had “taken out a few”. She said: “Their behaviour is unbearable. They eat your flowers and shrubs. They invade your home, nest in your attic and get into the insulation. When they are mating they get very aggressive. These creatures aren’t cute — they’re out of control.”

Ann Ingram found one cavorting in her lavatory after it came up through the plumbing, and she slaughtered it by pouring in a bottle of bleach. Others have found that golf irons come in handy.

Traps are selling fast at the hardware store, and local newspapers have printed recipes for iguana stew.

County officials have hired a biologist to set up an eradication scheme, but residents will have to pay an “iguana tax” to cover the six-figure costs, prompting heated public meetings. It is all a far cry from the days when townspeople showcased the “Dragons of Gasparilla” in tourist guides.

Of particular concern is the impact that the creatures have had on the coastline. They undermine beaches with their burrows and pose a threat to endangered birds and gopher tortoises.

However, some people suggest that the iguana problem has been whipped up by a few angry millionaires, who object to the reptiles hanging around their swimming pools and using their patios as lavatories.

FIRST CATCH YOUR LIZARD. . .

Ingredients 1 iguana; 1 large onion; 2 cloves garlic; 3 tomatoes; 2 green peppers; 4 tbs chilli oil; 1 pinch pepper; salt to taste.

Method Kill the iguana by cutting off its head. Open the belly lengthwise and remove all the entrails and the rectum. Cook in salted water until the meat is tender. Take care not to let it get too soft. Peel and slice into in portions. Chop the vegetables, add all ingredients and cook with about 1 cup water, until almost dry. Serves 4

Times Recommends

• Rio Tinto four held as China prepares case
• Diplomats must keep heads down and trousers up
• When in Rome should one make like Berlusconi?