Tegu takeover: More giant, exotic lizards are being spotted in Georgia - WSB-TV

South American Tegus Found Lurking in Georgia Homes and Yards

Giant, exotic lizards are on the loose in Georgia, and their population may continue to grow, WSB-TV reported. While these South American reptiles typically do not attack people, they pose a clear threat to local wildlife and agriculture across the state.

Cell phone video captured one of the strange creatures looking cranky after getting caught in a cage in southeast Georgia, roughly three hours from metro Atlanta. Finding one of these animals in the woods is unusual enough, but finding one curled under living room furniture is another matter entirely.

“And that thing looked really huge to me, and it was because I’m four foot eight and it’s three and a half foot or something,” said Lanell Oliver.

Oliver discovered a tegu hiding under her couch outside Reidsville after the lizard had been lurking in her carport. She summoned her son and grandson to remove it. When she stepped outside to watch but left her front door cracked open, the reptile marched right inside.

Her son carried the animal outside by the back of its head, and her grandson Paul shot it dead. In Georgia, it is open season on these South American black lizards, which feature white speckled bands, forked tongues, and whiplike tails. A male can reach more than 4 feet in length and weigh up to 20 pounds.

Trapping Efforts in Tattnall and Toombs Counties

Jim Gillis, a supervisor with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, demonstrated his trapping methods by pointing to a regular chicken egg used as bait. He sets traps around Tattnall and Toombs counties, where the tegu population has taken off.

The first sighting in the area occurred more than a decade ago. Gillis estimates that up to 50 of the reptiles have been caught or killed in those two counties alone. The widely accepted theory points to pet owners who previously bred the animals before breeding them became outlawed in Georgia.

“Well, honestly, we think someone just released them here, released a male and female,” Gillis said. Once established, they reproduce rapidly, with a single tegu capable of laying more than 30 eggs a year.

When asked why the Georgia terrain and ecosystem allow the reptiles to succeed, Gillis noted the environment closely mirrors their native homes in Argentina and southern Brazil.

Threats to Native Wildlife and Protected Species

Lance McBrayer, a herpetologist at Georgia Southern University, is documenting the spread of tegus and maintains a collection of about a dozen carcasses stored in a chest of ethanol. The animals present a multifaceted ecological challenge.

“They eat just about anything,” McBrayer said. Tegus target the eggs of the gopher tortoise, a protected species in Georgia, as well as the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Researchers are also watching for potential disease transmission and parasite introductions that could harm native fauna.

State wildlife officials maintain a clear policy on handling the invaders. It remains legal in Georgia to euthanize tegus, and authorities actively encourage and educate the public on the practice.

Occasional sightings have even reached metro Atlanta, where experts attribute them to individual pet escapes or one-off releases.

Richard Smith, a resident who shot and killed two tegus in his yard—one sunning near his air conditioning unit and another near his chickens—remains constantly on guard. “I never walk outside that I’m not looking, covering the ground, looking and trying to see,” Smith said. “You never know when you’re gonna run across one and they’re sneaky now.”