Florida Authorities in the Lookout for Exotic Lizard After Massive Escape; 33 Capture

Apr 28, 2013 05:55 PM EDT

Florida Authorities in the Lookout for Exotic Lizard After Massive Escape; 33 Captured
By Isabel Alface

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued a notice warning Bay County residents to be on the lookout for a 30-pound black and white lizard on the loose.

Authorities believe the Argentine lizard species "tegu" has found shelter in the Cedar Grove area, and they are welcoming public collaboration in the efforts to capture the reptile.

This week FWC captured about 33 Argentine tegus. The animals appeared in the region after an animal dealer abandoned them before leaving town.

"The owner, [a local resident], was licensed to sell tegus, and he left town abandoning them," Jerry Shores, FWC investigator, said.

The lizards captured were about 3 to 4 feet long and weighed up to 30 pounds.

"Most of the exotic [lizards] were captured within a fenced-in yard. However, some tegus have been reported by area residents a block or so away," Shores said.

Residents have been calling the FWC as they discover the lizards.

"During the investigation, the current residents have been nothing but helpful," Shores added.

He advised residents to not try to capture the lizards themselves. FWC said the lizards are not normally aggressive, but they have sharp teeth and claws and strong jaws to defend themselves.

A hotline has been opened to anyone who spots a tegu. The line is 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4681) or, alternatively, FWC advises, one can report it online at IveGot1.org. The FWC also is asking residents for photos and to note the location if possible.

The tegu is indigenous to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, but can also easily establish itself in Florida's subtropical climate. A tegu's diet includes everything from fruits and vegetables to rodents and other small animals.

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At a time when spring flowers should be emerging from the ground, dozens of 4-foot foreign lizards instead crawled out of the dirt in one Florida backyard this month.

An exotic pet dealer in Panama City, Fla., abandoned his lot of lizards called tegus back in the fall when his license to sell the South American reptiles lapsed, authorities say. Before he left the area, he apparently dug dens in his yard for the tegus to retreat to during the winter, which came as a surprise to the new residents.

"The current tenants were told by the landlord some tegus or lizards were on the property but they had no idea what that meant until spring came and these things came out of the ground," said Stan Kirkland, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Since last week, state wildlife authorities have recovered 34 live tegus, some in poor physical shape, as well as several carcasses, Kirkland said. Most of the black-and-white lizards measured 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters) in length and weighed up to 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms). Although a majority of the reptiles were picked up in the fenced-in yard, others were spotted blocks away.

FWC staff are still looking for more lizards and appealing to the public to report any tegu sightings. (Florida has an exotic species hotline, 1-888-IveGot1, and website, IveGot1.org.)

"We don’t know how many tegus are loose in the neighborhood," Kirkland told LiveScience on Tuesday (April 30). "We believe several are out, based on sightings by area residents. We set 10 traps today in the area (with bananas and eggs) and those traps will be worked morning and evening the remainder of the week."

Authorities are finalizing charges against the pet dealer who abandoned the tegus, which are likely to include animal cruelty charges, Kirkland said.

Though the lizards can be legally purchased in Florida's pet trade, it's illegal to let non-native animals loose in the wild. Free-roaming tegus could threaten to take hold in Florida's subtropical environment, as researchers believe the lizards could successfully compete with native species for food — especially since tegus have a flexible diet that ranges from vegetables to rodents to alligator eggs. The prospect of another animal invasion is troubling for Florida's state authorities who are already dealing with a daunting pantheon of exotic pets turned invasive species like the Burmese python.

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