[Animals] A dog-sized lizard is threatening the southern United States

[FNX Magokiler]

Deep in the Florida Everglades, a voracious reptile with attractively mottled scales has become one of the state's most concerning invasive species. The Argentine tegu or overo lizard (Salvator merianae), a large lizard that can reach one and a half meters in length, has already proliferated widely in southern Florida. It has also appeared throughout the southeastern US, posing a potential threat to native species and farmers.

These creatures, native to South America, are omnivores and will eat almost anything with nutritional value that they can fit in their mouths. They eat eggs from ground-nesting animals such as birds and reptiles, including endangered sea turtles. They eat pigeons and other small animals. They catch strawberries and other fruits and vegetables that grow low to the ground.

And they are extremely hardy, making their spread difficult to control or reduce once the species has become established. However, recent efforts to limit the po[CENSORED]tion of these animals in the Everglades and Georgia appear to be effective.

Although tegus have been breeding in South Florida for more than a decade (after escaping from captivity or being released by their owners), in recent years they have spread to at least two counties in Georgia.

The reptiles have also been spotted in four South Carolina counties, where biologists suspect they may be breeding. In response, the state enacted a ban against pet keeping of the reptile in 2021. In 2022, Georgia passed a law regulating (but not prohibiting) the keeping of tegus. There have also been isolated reports of their presence in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas, as well as established po[CENSORED]tions in central Florida.

 

 

Tegus, intelligent and docile, are highly coveted animals by fans of exotic animals. Most of those in the U.S. are the product of American breeders, but between 2000 and 2010 alone, more than 79,000 live tegus were imported from South America, explains Amy Yackel Adams, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). , for its acronym in English) that studies this animal. Although only a small minority of animals escape or are released, biologists believe the problem is getting worse.

If many more animals are released, "there is the potential for a very large po[CENSORED]tion to form in the wild," Adams says.

A 2018 study by the USGS used information on tegus in South America to predict their potential spread into the U.S. According to Adams, "the entire southeastern portion of the United States is at risk. Much of this area has a climate suitable for tegus." tegus". At this time, there are no official estimates of how many tegus live in the US.

Tegus do best in upland forests and grasslands, especially in areas that receive abundant seasonal rainfall, such as the subtropical pine forests of Florida. Adams says that as climate change shifts tropical and subtropical climate zones northward, the range of tegus in North America could also expand.

 

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.es/animales/2023/11/tegu-argentino-lagarto-tamano-perro-amenaza-sur-estados-unidos