From Travel + Leisure, May 15:
Georgia Residents Are on the Lookout for a 4-foot-long Lizard That Won’t Stop Eating Tortoise Eggs
Anyone who sees a tegu in the wild should snap a photo and report the sighting to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has put the entire state on lookout for four-foot-long black-and-white lizards that will “eat just about anything they want.”
The Argentine tegu is an invasive species threatening Georgia wildlife. The animals are originally from South America, but they have started to appear in South Florida and a few Georgia counties. They particularly enjoy feasting on eggs from ground and nesting animals, like turtles and birds.
Invasive species like the tegu “are a significant problem for native animals and plants,” according to the DNR. “Invasives compete with native wildlife for food and other resources. They can cause habitat damage and transmit diseases and parasites. In many cases, they also prey on native wildlife.”
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is concerned because the tegus are eating the eggs of protected species and may push them out of their burrows. Tegus don’t have natural predators in Georgia and the females are capable of laying up to 35 eggs per year, so they can very quickly take over an area....MOREHT: TheAnimalRescueSite blog.
And in other news (VIDEO):
2020: "Motorcycle-Riding Monkey Tries Kidnapping Small Child ... In Indonesian Alley "—UPDATED
