By: Aniya Hatten
Invasive species are animals, plants or organisms that have ended up in an environment where they do not belong and are causing environmental or economical harm. The Tegu lizard is an invasive species of Georgia that was recognized in 2018. A project to trap these lizards started in the summer of 2019 and will continue starting at the end of March according to Georgia Southern University Professor, Dr. Lance McBrayer.
The Tegu lizard is native to South America and has been a huge threat to Georgia’s wildlife. The lizard is notorious for eating any and everything that is in their paths such as pet food, small animals and fruit.
“They have a strong penchant to eat eggs and chickens out of nest… so a lot of ground-nesting birds,” said Dr. McBrayer. “And then, they’re really good diggers so they’ll dig up reptile nest as well.
The Gopher Tortoise and the American Alligator are two of Georgia’s protected species that have been negatively impacted by the Tegu. Dr. McBrayer says they plan to catch Tegus by setting live traps as well as camera traps.
“They’re really big so we can easily detect them on camera traps,” said Dr.McBrayer. “The adults are 2 ½ to 3 feet long and some of the largest adult males are even 4 feet long… but the largest lizard in Georgia is only 10 inches.”
A law to make Tegus illegal to own or breed is currently in the works for Georgia and has been passed in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. The animal is extremely popular in the pet trade and it is assumed that these southeast regions are being introduced to the invasive species by pet releases.
Dr. McBrayer urges Georgia residents to report any sightings of a large black and white lizard to the Department of Natural Resources and to take a picture if possible. The animal reproduces quickly so he believes that the threat will only get worse in the future.
“The Tegu lizard project is a big concern because it’s actually an invasive species that has been recognized in the early stages,” said Wayne Paulk, Wildlife Educational Coordinator at Georgia Southern University. “The lionfish and Burmese python were both recognized when it was too late.”
There are over 200 invasive species in Georgia according to the Department of Natural Resouces. They have accounted for 83 potentially invasive plant species, 111 animals and 30 disease-causing organisms. Georgia Southern University’s Wildlife Educational Center presents an exhibit that consists of a few invasive species that are major concerns for the southeast region of Georgia.
“They’re going to keep outcompeting and eating a lot of the smaller game fish,” said Paulk. “That going to really hurt the human food source.”
Another invasive species in the wildlife center is the Cane toad. Paulk says that all toads have some kind of poison that prevents animals from eating them except for Cane toads. Their poison is extremely lethal and could potentially kill pet dogs. Danielle Kirkland, Biology Student at Georgia Southern University, also discusses Cane toads and how they have become a major concern for Georgia and other areas.
“They were introduced into places like Florida and Hawaii to help get rid of the local pests that could cause harm to farms,” said Kirkland. “What they didn’t realize is that the Cane toad can lay thousands of eggs each year. At this rate of production, you would have billions of toads after 60 plus years and there is no ending that.”
The result of the Cane toad is the result of many other invasive species such as the Burmese Python. According to Invasive.org, the best thing a community can do to help get rid of invasive species is to not plant, transmit or release them. Be sure to educate yourself on the concerns in your area so you can report these animals if seen.