Invasive lizard the size of an alligator seen along busy Florida road, video shows
A stunning lizard the size of an alligator seen along a busy road in southwest Florida is likely an Asian water monitor, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
It’s another example of the invasive species plaguing the state and will be humanely killed — if trappers catch it.
Video of the reptile pacing along Hillsborough Boulevard near North Port was posted May 20 on Facebook by Renee Aland, who contacted FWC to report the sighting. North Port is about a 90-mile drive south from Tampa.
“He’s huge. ... He’s just, like, strutting across the road,” Aland says in the video.
She is also heard telling her 15-year-old daughter not to get out of the car. The lizard was estimated to be 5 feet in length, based on the fact it stretched the width of a 5-foot sidewalk, she said.
“I wonder how many outdoor cats and lost pets have been dinner to these voracious eaters,” Aland told McClatchy News.
“I was a little taken aback at how many times it attempted to cross the street and turned around … obviously knowing to avoid traffic. ... Would do some damage to a vehicle.”
Asian water monitors can get much bigger, reaching up to 8 feet over a 10-year lifespan, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.
They are “a tropical, semiaquatic” predator that will eat anything “it can overpower” — on land and in water, USFW says.
Monitors are native to southern and Southeast Asia and came to Florida as part of the exotic pet trade, state officials say. Those that found their way into the wild have spread using South Florida’s extensive canal system, the FWC says.
“We believe it to be an Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) but are unable to definitively confirm identification based off the video that was sent to us,” FWC officials told McClatchy News.
“Our biologists are still gathering information related to sightings of this animal to determine potential response efforts and will continue monitoring.”
Aland shared two videos that have been viewed more than 177,000 times as of May 28. Many among the commenters noted a “huge” tongue could be seen whipping in and out of its mouth.
“That tongue alone can eat a small child,” Sarah Marie wrote on Facebook.
“I’d rather run into a gator!” Jessica Carter posted.
“Why ... would someone have that for a pet???? Brought it here to terrorize,” Sherry Hoyt posted.
People are encouraged to report observations to the FWC’s invasive species hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (483-4681), via the IVEGOT1 app or online at IveGot1.org.
This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Invasive lizard the size of an alligator seen along busy Florida road, video shows."