NEWS: The Tegu Lizard Invasion

By: Joiya Reid, Akira Stewart, Kamala Jannell, Justin Bowles, and Ryan Kostensky

The popularity of exotic pet trading could very well add to the fragility of Georgia’s ecosystem.

According to Big Think, between the years of 2000 and 2015, about 79,000 live tegu lizards were possibly imported into the U.S. The lizard has been successful in invading the ecosystem in Florida and now shows an increasing risk of possibly invading the entire southern U.S. and Mexico.

Dr. Lance McBrayer with the Tegu lizards

The black and white tegu lizard, which is native to South America, has been spotted in the counties of Toombs and Tattnall. The reason for their appearance is believed to be a result of exotic pet owners releasing them into the wild.

The lizard can easily adapt to the climate in the southern part of the U.S. because it is so similar to their native country. They also have no threat of a natural predator, which makes it even more difficult to eradicate them.

The invasion of the lizard has led the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to take direct action in dealing with the species. Partnering with a professor in the biology department, Dr. Lance McBrayer, and students of Georgia Southern, they formed a program that would assist in the trapping of the tegus.

McBrayer emphasized the importance of educating pet owners because of the increasing amount of invasive species in the U.S.

“We need people to understand that even though their pets might be dear to them, when released into the wild it can lead to big problems,” said McBrayer.

One of the biggest problems is the tegu's diet. These lizards have a generalist diet meaning they eat plants and mammals.

A close up on the lizard

There are several endangered reptiles in Georgia, including the state reptile, the gopher tourist and indigo snakes. The lizard’s fondness of eggs poses a threat to the reproductivity of these animals.

There is a similar problem with Quail and Turkeys which are popular hunting birds. The hunting of these game birds brings in over $1 billion to federal income taxes. If the lizards continue to feast on eggs, the government stands to lose a substantial amount income.

Tegus diet also poses a potential threat to agriculture. With their diverse diet, they will eat both crops and small mammals on the farmland.

Georgia Southern student and owner of a black and white tegu lizard, Micheal Brennan, warns against people taking the lizards as pets that do not have experience with reptiles.

“I would never ever recommend this to somebody as a pet unless you’re like me and have well over 5 to 10 years in experience with other reptiles,” said Brennan.

He believes that a huge part of them being released into the wild is that people take them in and don’t understand the proper way to raise them.