Over 100 huge, invasive lizards are causing mayhem in South Carolina, as they alter the local ecosystem and kill endangered species.
According to the NY Post, the Argentine black and white tegu was first spotted in the southern United States in 2020. In the years that have passed, the lizards have created plenty of trouble, everywhere they have been. Notably, the reptiles can grow up to four feet in length, and have black and white spotted scales. Moreover, the large lizards have what is described as a "voracious appetite." Experts say the lizards eat just about any and every single thing they lay their eyes on.
The lizards that were first spotted in the wild in 2020 are assumed to have been released or escaped from captivity. The species was originally imported to the United States by the tens of thousands, to be kept as pets. From 2000 to 2010, roughly 79,000 individual Argentine black and white tegu were brought into the United States.
In the four years that have passed after the first sighting of the lizard in the wild, the species has spread out. Now, sightings have ranged to the Charleston mountains and Midlands in South Carolina. Luckily though, Andrew Grosse, who is a state herpetologist in South Carolina, has stated that there has yet to be any evidence that the lizards are reproducing in the wild.
Massive And Invasive Lizards Are Causing Trouble In South Carolina
A ban was placed by the state government in South Carolina in 2021. Regardless, the issue has persisted in the years that have since passed. Local ecosystems are suffering as the species becomes more pervasive. Moreover, the outlook regarding population growth is worrisome. Experts believe the lizards continue to be released, as owners become unable to care for them as they grow. Thus, the lizards continue to be released, often at or near their full size. As such, they enter the wild very hungry and waste no time feasting on whatever is available.
The issue is certainly one to keep an eye on. Despite years of focused efforts from the South Carolina state government, conditions are not improving.
