Florida - Another Alien Invasion Underway

Deb H sent in a link to this interesting article about the Argentine Black & White Tegu which is yet another invasive lizard species in Florida.

See: A Hungry Little Squatter...

It makes an interesting read and reminds us of how we, as herp keepers, need to be responsible with the animals we keep. I agree with a lot of what they say but have to point out that I highly doubt their assertion that reptile breeders let loose tegus with the hopes they would breed in the wild and then could be caught to sell in the pet trade. Their reasoning that this would be less expensive than breeding them seems pretty far fetched as a lizard in the enclosure is worth about 5 in the bush. You would have to be either or both a reckless gambler thinking you would ever catch as many as you could have bred or a moron to think releasing them would create a steady flow of wild caught animals on which your business could depend.

All the best,
Glenn B