South American tegus are becoming an invasive species in the Southeastern United States. The article states that it is unknown how they were introduced into the wild, but it is most likely caused by people releasing their pet tegus. South American tegus are an extremely popular pet; they are very friendly when handled regularly from a young age. Tegus can grow quite large(3+ feet) and many people who adopt them do not do enough research on their size and care. When the tegu suddenly grows much larger than they anticipated, they may end up releasing them into the wild or the tegu can escape due to an improper enclosure. According to the news article, there are only two known wild populations in Georgia at the moment and officials are working to keep the population under control and prevent it from spreading. If the tegu population spreads to more states it could greatly impact the local wildlife and ecosystem due to their appetite and size. The article lists eggs as a staple of the tegu diet, which could greatly diminish the local populations of reptiles. Tegus becoming an invasive species could also cause problems for reptile owners, as stricter regulations could be put in place banning certain species as pets due to irresponsible owners.
The intended audience of this article is anyone who lives in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the tegu as an invasive species so sightings can be reported in order to remove as many tegus as possible from the wild. I wish that the article emphasized that tegus are not dangerous to humans, they are only dangerous to the local ecosystem, so people will not be scared if they do see one.
Article link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tegus-invasive-lizards-georgia-residents-report/
2 comments:
Informative article. I'm glad they're spreading the word to try to help keep this invasive species under control.
I think this is a great topic to discuss. I know in South Carolina that you can still legally own tegus if they are registered, you just can not breed them or bring them from another state. Despite this, I know that there are apparently loopholes because I know a neighbor from back home in Moncks Corner who somehow legally obtained one about six months ago. It was a younger individual, definitely under a year, and it somehow got out about a month ago and she never found it. I wonder if it somehow survived and is still out there somewhere. I also know someone who brought one when they moved from Louisiana about three years ago. I am sure if there are more than two of these organisms in my small town, they have to be everywhere, which is just a disaster waiting to happen. Great post!
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