Tegu threat in FL

[laurarfl]

http://www.wbir.com/news/watercooler...0786&catid=141

This article irritates me and I'd love for tupinambis or someone from SA to respond. Don't tegus in the wild eat plant matter and large invertebrates? I really can't imagine a tegu raiding a croc or gator nest. And I can't fathom someone releasing an animal they could sell for at least $100.

[HernandosMom]

Hmm, well, I agree it's sensational and uses unnecessary scare tactics. But I think raiding the eggs of ground-nesting birds and reptiles is nothing that should surprise any tegu owner. I don't like the way they basically jump to conclusions about how the lizards got there and use it to feed a false picture of tegus that appears to be manufactured to make the rangers look tough and brave for catching them. But I am much more concerned with the idea that tegus are now added to the invasive species screwing up the Florida everglades. The herp-lover community in Florida was very effective in organizing against the overblown laws proposed in reaction to this problem. I'm really disappointed not to hear and see more action by them to solve the invasive species problem. These are our own native animals put in danger by introduced animals.

[Pikey]

i totally agree... they could & would raid the ground nests, but 70% of reptile loose in FL & surrounding states are from escapes & escapes during hurricanes (from homes & pet shops)

but you notice for being such a big bad dangerous lizard nobody was wearing gloves or any protection when holding them
this is just to fuel the anti-reptile laws

[lilwyhunter]

I LOVE your response to this article Laura!! "As a matter of fact, the large one we have here at the zoo..." it's a blue, those aren't even the big ones. This is so ridiculous, they're making the tegu out to be naturally aggressive and 'dangerous' plus, it's hard to breed tegus, I can't imagine that they are 'overpopulating' in Florida already.

[laurarfl]

Wild tegus have been in FL for a couple of years now. They have been in Polk County where they are seen as agricultural pests. Could you imagine them in fields of greens or strawberries? I have no doubt that they could wreak havoc on the Everglades or any portion of S FL. Again, I think escapees are the culprit rather than releases.

I could definitely see a tegu raiding an iguana nest (which would be a good thing), but a croc or gator? Hmmm.....I think that would be a tasty little tegu snack for some angry momma more times than not.

The problem with invasive species is that they are so darn invasive . Once they are out there, what is to be done? The Central FL Herp Society if very political and quite involved with USARK and FWC (FL fish and wildlife). They have been involved with the python hunting and legislative efforts. Other than trapping and amnesty days, what else can be done? The problem in the Everglades is so much more than reptiles. It's the Army Corps of Engineers, the Kissimmee River, paving, drainage, runoff, the sugar industry, development/growth/water supply which all affect the water cycle. There's a huge political battle raging with the sugar industry over land and restoration, but all that has been brushed aside once the pythons (and now tegus) came on the scene. The pythons have been in the wild since the 70's "they say" and the population really began increasing in the 90's after Hurricane Andrew.

I guess it is the sudden focus, the sensationalism of scary reptiles, and the disregard of political issues that really irritate about articles such as these.

[VEGAS-LIZARD]

That gave me a laugh. Here's how I image the interview from the tegu's point of view.
Journalist - Ew watch out for scary tegus!!! BTW here are some who look like they could rip your hand off!!
Tegu - Yawn...Yes, see my menacing tounge? I may decide to take a nap in a minute. Could you set me down in a nice basking spot?
Journalist - OMG! Watch out for your chiwawas!! These things will eat anything they can stuff into their mouth!
Tegu- Really? Come on man... Well maybe if I found one dead in the road I might chew on it a little. Then again, perhaps I'll make an exception and just bite your stupid A*s.

[melbel1023]

i can't understand how someone raise these great creatures, then turn them out once they are bored with them.
i love my desmond, i could never imagine losing him or getting rid of him...
i can understand if you cannot provide for them, then find an animal rescue OR sell them, but just releasing them?...its heartbreaking.

[HernandosMom]

i can't understand how someone raise these great creatures, then turn them out once they are bored with them.
i love my desmond, i could never imagine losing him or getting rid of him...
i can understand if you cannot provide for them, then find an animal rescue OR sell them, but just releasing them?...its heartbreaking.

I could better believe it if such a thing happend BCL (Before CraigsList ), but not nowadays. On the other hand, people still "release" their dogs and cats when they feel it's time to move on. I think it's more likely carelessness. And that includes carelessness of not having a plan for your pets, any pets, if you live in a place subject to natural hazards. I knew a woman who kept venomous snakes right in the city here in earthquake country. I asked her if she ever thought about that and, man, she sure had. She had all kinds of structural reinforcements and redundancies. Maybe one thing the pet, especially herp, community can do to raise awareness and improve PR is to create a campaign around keeping pets secure, and including them in your family evacuation plans.

I also think the idea of organized trapping and capture is a great thing that should be done with high visibility. I had a conversation at a reptile show with a guy from a Florida herp group, and from him I got the impression that this had kinda been done once or twice with the herp society cooperating. I think it's something that could be done on a bigger scale on a weekly basis, with trained volunteers working with the local fish & wildlife folks. The more people you get out in the swamps learning about their vulnerability and understanding how the ecosystems work off the paved trails, the more passionate advocates there are to fight the political stuff.

From laurarfl: "The problem in the Everglades is so much more than reptiles. It's the Army Corps of Engineers, the Kissimmee River, paving, drainage, runoff, the sugar industry, development/growth/water supply which all affect the water cycle. There's a huge political battle raging with the sugar industry over land and restoration, but all that has been brushed aside once the pythons (and now tegus) came on the scene."

I totally agree with this. And the first to go, the group with the worst damage vs. benefit equation, should be the sugar growers. Florida is no place for that destructive use of land, water and air (cuz they burn the stalks each year), and no need to import more labor (cuz that IS work that U.S. workers won't do at those wages) when our country has to GIVE millions away to help Haitians, who would all benefit if our soda pop makers bought their sugar from them. ... oooooh! Talk about sugar vs. wildlife to get me hot headed !

[laurarfl]

Oh yeah...sugar cane is the worst of the invasive species! It invades our swamps via agriculture and invades our bodies wreaking all kinds of havoc. yuck!

[laurarfl]

And here's what we are facing in FL:

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2...ers_death.html