A cat-eating lizard native to Africa could be dangerous to pets and humans, according to Florida state wildlife experts.
On Friday, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Service said that they are increasing their efforts in locating and removing these lizards, particularly along canals in Palm Beach County, north of Miami, according to Discovery News.
The lizards can grow up to five feet and can be mistaken for iguanas. Their motley coloring may be brown, yellow or olive.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Jenny Ketterlin Eckles” author_title=”Biologist at Fish and Wildlife Service”]
Nile monitors have been known to eat cats as well as other small mammals, burrowing owls, fish and frogs. Because their diet is so varied, we are assessing whether this species may have an impact on Florida’s native wildlife.
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Nile monitor lizard, a cousin of the most famous monitor lizard, the Komodo dragon, has been spreading through the state since at least 1990. Thousands are thought to be loose in some parts of the state, but they have recently appeared in Palm Beach County and officials hope that they will remove them in time before they cause any disbalance in the local ecosystem.
Wildlife officials are armed with shotguns and plan is to shoot lizards on sight, according to Business Insider.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– David A. Steen” author_title=”Assistant Research Professor”]
Nile monitor is a “hulking beast” that’s a voracious predator of any creature smaller than itself. They have spread far enough that they are a serious problem.
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In an unrelated story Immortal News covered this year in January, a member of the so-called hackers ‘Lizard Squad’ was arrested for alleged cyber-fraud.
