The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has reported that invasive black and white tegus invade southeast Georgia and threatens other wildlife living in the area. These lizards are native in South America, particularly in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
The Argentine black and white tegus can grow up to 1.2 meters long and weigh up to 4.5 kilograms. They mainly eat fruits, vegetables, insects, and eggs.
The DNR said that these invasive species would compete with the wildlife in the area for food and other resources, destructing other animals' habitat, and transmitting diseases that cause great concern for the wildlife officials.
Invasive Lizards Invade Georgia
These invasive lizards can also prey on the wildlife in Toombs and Tattnall counties in southeast Georgia, and since they only have a few natural predators, they can quickly multiply.
It is still unknown how they got into the wild, but these lizards are legally a pet in some states in the US, so it is possible that some domestic lizards were released, either on purpose or accidentally. The Georgia DNR has started investigating reports of tegus sighting in the two counties in May.
They are working closely with the US Geological Society and Georgia Southern University to trap all the Argentine black and white tegus to eradicate them in the area and assess their population. According to 9News, those trapped tegus are euthanized, and their diet and reproduction are recorded.
Generally, tegus do not pose a large threat to humans as they are even kept as pets, but they bite. These lizards are known to live in Florida. However, they are an endemic species to the area, and some official sightings recorded said that they are also seen in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, and Charlotte counties.
The Georgia DNR urges residents or anyone who would see any tegus in the wild, alive or dead, to report to their office immediately. This small act will help the biologists locate these invasive lizards and respond effectively.
They also encourage all tegus pet owners to be responsible, and for those who are planning to have one, doing more research first before having the tegus as their pet.
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The Argentine Black and White Tegu
According to the Georgia DNR website, the Argentine black and white tegu is the largest tegu species. Their skin color is either black or dark gray and with white speckled bands, although they have bright green heads as hatchlings, which will slowly fade away after one month. They can weigh up to 10 pounds and can live up to 20 years.
These terrestrial lizards are active by day and are seldom seen more than a few feet off the ground. They are also known as great swimmers and can even stay submerged for an extended period. During winter, they burrow in brumation, which is the equivalent of hibernation in some animals.
They reproduce quickly with approximately 35 eggs per year because they have few natural predators. Female tegus start to reproduce at about 12 inches long or after their second brumation.
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