Lizard study stymied by coronavirus asks for community help - Palm Beach Post

Lizard study stymied by coronavirus asks for community help - Palm Beach Post

Lizard study stymied by coronavirus asks for community help - Palm Beach Post

Posted: 19 May 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Lizard researchers stuck at home by Covid-19 orders were searching out a new threat and are now hoping for community help.

University of Florida researchers are asking virus-grounded Palm Beach County residents for help identifying a new threat to the ecosystem.

The black and white tegu – an up to 5-foot long invasive lizard native to Argentina and Brazil – made a surprise appearance last year in Palm Beach County during a study of the equally invasive Nile monitor lizard.

Scientists at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center had canvassed canal and lakeside neighborhoods last year with pictures of the Nile monitor and information on how to report the water-loving lizards' whereabouts if seen.

RELATED: 4-foot-long Nile monitor lizard living in family's Florida attic

But some of the sightings turned out to be tegus, which are not restricted to areas with water and are cold-hardy, having the ability to burrow and go into a hibernation-like status when temperatures drop.

"Outreach efforts in 2019 led to several unexpected reports of Argentine black and white tegus from Palm Beach County, elevating the need for a wider public observational network to report large invasive lizards," said Frank Mazzotti, a UF wildlife and ecology professor.

Justin Dalaba, science writer and outreach coordinator for UF's research center in Fort Lauderale, said some of the field research on tegus and Nile monitors was put on pause this spring by Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. While plans are being made for a slow restart, UF is still looking for help from citizens.

RELATED: 5 scary non-native animals invading PalmBeach County

"With a lot of us staying home, the simple ask is to take a look in your backyards and tell us what you see," Dalaba said.

Sightings of exotic species can be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by calling 888-483-4681. The Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System also takes reports online at eddmaps.org.

Nile monitors - sharp-clawed lizards that can also grow to 5 feet - have known breeding populations in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Lee counties.

Tegus, which lay a clutch of 5 eggs multiple times per year, are breeding in Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties, but there's no evidence they have started breeding in Palm Beach County.

Dalaba said the tegus that have been reported in Palm Beach County are likely escaped pets.

"But if they were to take root, that would be a huge threat," Dalaba said.

Tegus eat the eggs and the young of alligators, birds and turtles, they also invade the burrows of native gopher tortoises and could be a threat to food crops through bacterial contamination, according to UF.

One of the biggest concerns is that tegus and Nile monitors will make their way into the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

According to the online Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System, which catalogs sightings of invasive plant, insect or animal species in the state, about 35 tegu sightings have been reported in Palm Beach County since 2012.

#Florida is consistently second only to #Hawaii in the damage #invasivespecies cause in our state - @nplace01 #NISAW #TuesdayMotivation

🌱 How to help: https://t.co/ATcdHq6f4J

— UF IFAS Solutions (@UF_IFAS) May 19, 2020

The most recent sighting of a black and white tegu in Palm Beach County was May 11, although the exact location was not yet listed in the database.

UF's campaign to elicit the public's health is called the Backyard Canal Watch/Large Lizard Lookout project.

"The main message is that while you are home, help be our eyes and ears and fill in the knowledge gaps," Dalaba said.

Kmiller@pbpost.com

@Kmillerweather

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