If you live in Florida, you're probably used to getting strange news, so here's a message from your state government: should probably keep an eye out for large, black and white, baby crocodile-resembling reptiles in your neighborhood. The state has found 33 of them in a neighborhood in Florida and are looking to round up the exotic animal.
Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, is asking locals from Cedar Grove, a section of Panama City, Florida, to assist them in locating the exotic Argentinian lizard. According to SFGate, the scaly, foreign visitors are called "tegus," or known by scientists as T. merianae. And they have been found, says The News Herald, frequenting the area off of East Avenue, just north of 15th street in Cedar Grove.
The animals appeared when a former resident who was licensed to sell the nonnative lizards left town and abandoned the tegus. Most of them, some measuring up to 4 feet long and weighing about 30 pounds, have been found in a yard, tucked away behind a fence. But, according to FWC investigator Jerry Shores, lizard sightings have been reported by residents up to a block or so away. "During the investigation, the current residents have been nothing but helpful," said Shores.
The Tegu is a relatively large, omnivorous reptile that feeds mostly on fruit, seeds, small animals, and other easy prey like crocodile eggs. They're natives to South America, but can be purchased as pets here. However, said Shores, it is illegal to release exotic species into the wild in Florida and the release of the Tegus has prompted a criminal investigation by authorities.
Locals who may spot a tegu in their neighborhood are encouraged by the FWC to report it to Florida's cleverly named exotic species hotline, https://www.IveGot1.org. Owners of tegus and other exotic animals are encouraged to turn the animals in for adoption rather than releasing them or abandoning them.