Georgia officials warn of 4-foot-long invasive lizards that eat 'anything they want'

Source: The Hill | May 14, 2020 | Morgan Gstalter

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is warning residents that an invasive species of giant lizards has established in the state, posing a threat to wildlife and crops because they eat “anything they want.”

Officials said that they’re working to eradicate the spread of Argentine black and white tegus. The lizards can grow to four feet long and weigh upward of 10 pounds, making it easily mistaken for a baby alligator.

DNR biologist John Jensen said in a video earlier this month that the lizards “eat just about anything they want,” including both plants and small animals.

“One of their favorite foods is eggs from ground-nesting animals such as gopher tortoise — our protected state reptile. Birds, including turkeys and quail.”

Tegus have been spotted in northern Florida over the years, but officials believe there is a current population in Georgia’s Tattnail and Toomb counties that they’re hoping to eradicate before they spread.

Native to South America, Jensen said the animal is popular with the pet trade but “releasing it into the wild is the absolute worst thing to do.”

The Orianne Society, an environmental conservation group, said in a Facebook post Monday that the lizards are “voracious predators.”

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