Black and white tegu lizards are appearing in South Carolina and authorities are seeking to halt the spread. Giant tegu lizards can reach 5 feet in length and are a threat to a number of native birds, reptiles and other species. According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) the creatures have no legal protection and need to be “removed.”
In a 2021 press release the SCDNR said:
“Due to the establishment of black and white tegus in Georgia and Florida, and the potential negative impacts they could have on native ground-nesting birds like turkey and quail, as well as other species such as the state-endangered gopher tortoise, black and white tegus and their hybrids were added to the list of “Restricted Non-native Wildlife” on May 28, 2021. These regulations prohibit tegus and their hybrids from being brought into South Carolina or reproduced here, and also require current owners to register all black and white tegus and hybrids with SCDNR.”
The giant tegu lizards in South Carolina are black and white tegus (Salvator merianae). These are the largest of the approximately 7 species of the South American reptile. The problem has not gone away in the last two years.
According to Britannica:
“Tegus occur in a wide variety of habitats, including the Amazon Rainforest, savannas, and deciduous semiarid thorn forests. Even though these are large, conspicuous lizards, two new species, T. longilineus and T. quadrilineatus, were described as late as the mid-1990s, and additional undescribed species are known to exist. Several species have been heavily exploited commercially, primarily in Argentina, for their hides—a source of high-quality leather used for making shoes and purses. Tegus are considered a delicacy in parts of South America and are eaten locally. They are also popular in the commercial pet trade, and the release of the black-and-white tegu by pet merchants and owners in Florida since the early 2000s led to their classification as an invasive species there.” Links in original.
Giant tegu lizards are merely one more invasive species to be found in the Southeast. Others include Joro spiders, Burmese pythons and Asian eels.