Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any more unpredictably bizarre, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources late last week announced the first confirmed sighting of a gigantic, invasive lizard species in the Palmetto State.
The Black and White Tegu Lizard is already considered invasive in parts of Florida and southern Georgia and grows to an astounding four feet long, or, the size of a small alligator.
Wikipedia/Signey
Since May of this year, SCDNR has received multiple reports of Black and White Tegu sightings in both Lexington and Aiken Counties. The only confirmed sighting is the recent one in Lexington County, where the agency captured the reptile — a 2.5-foot female.
Wikipedia
As a species, the Tegu is among the few reptiles with the ability to turn on a warm-blooded internal thermostat to maintain body heat during its reproductive periods, as opposed to relying on ambient heat or the rays of the sun to stay warm.
Wikipedia/Tomfriedel
Hatchlings can be easily distinguished from older Tegus by their emerald green tint. By the time they shed their skin for the first time, they’ll start to migrate to the more black and white colors of their adulthood. Younger Tegus also have wider black bands on their tails than do adults.
Wikipedia/Patricia Carabelli
While Tegus are native to Central and South America, they have managed to get a foothold in North America in recent years. Although primarily omnivores, the Black and White Tegu is the largest of the Tegu species and has been known to attack small mammals.
benedek / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images No reports of small mammals being attacked by a Tegu in South Carolina are on record, as yet.We did, however, find a video from youtube user ojatro, filmed in Florida, where eventually two medium-sized Tegu lizards attack a barking dog. View it here:
If you spot a Black and White Tegu Lizard anywhere in South Carolina, if you can, take a photo, note the date, time and location and then report it to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Wikipedia/Bernard DUPONT
Have you spotted this invasive lizard species in the wild? You can email your photo(s) and file a report to Andrew Grosse at this email address: grossea@dnr.sc.gov.
Wikipedia/Signey
Wikipedia
Wikipedia/Tomfriedel
Wikipedia/Patricia Carabelli
benedek / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
No reports of small mammals being attacked by a Tegu in South Carolina are on record, as yet.We did, however, find a video from youtube user ojatro, filmed in Florida, where eventually two medium-sized Tegu lizards attack a barking dog. View it here:
Wikipedia/Bernard DUPONT
We’re really not keen on the idea of a four-foot lizard becoming a prevalent predatory species in South Carolina!
Although not predatory, another oddball species is becoming more and more common in the Palmetto State and besides digging up entire fields and tunneling under the foundation of homes, it also carries leprosy. Read all about how armadillos are being spotted more and more in South Carolina.
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