An Athens woman had a 3-foot exotic lizard living under her porch and didn’t even know it.
In Georgia, wildlife officials said that until children from the neighborhood told her about a “giant lizard,” the mother had no idea that a 3-foot tegu lizard lived under her porch.
The Athens resident discovered a “giant lizard” residing beneath her porch after hearing some youngsters claim to have seen one in her yard, according to a news release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The lizard, identified as an Argentine black and white tegu, an exotic species that can grow up to 4 feet long.
The tegu was captured and turned over to the DNR, which said it has been unable to locate the animal’s owner.
“This is definitely an example of why we need to regulate these species,” Brett Albanese of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in the news release.
“They can be difficult to keep and as they grow their owners may not want to care for them or be able to afford to.”
A new rule set to take effect in Georgia in December requires owners of tegu lizards and five other reptile species to tag and register their pets.
