The year 2020 has so far been… how should I put this… wacko. We began the new year with high hopes.The year “2020” has a nice symmetry to it. It calls to mind the idea of balance, of clear vision, a path forward. But we got duped. We should all know better than to sign on to something just because it “looks nice”! Many of us fell hook, line, and sinker for 2020, only to be cruelly let down. 

First, we encountered the horrific and deadly virus, which spread across the globe like wildfire. The coronavirus has caused upheaval in homes near and far. It has cost lives and divided nations. All this, even before the spring equinox. Then came the mandatory self-isolation and quarantines, followed soon after by the conspiracy theories, and of course the protestors. (1, 2)

Then, just when things seemed like they couldn’t get any more bizarre, the murder hornets showed up. This convinced most of us that this year just has to have some sort of hex on it. (3) Long before the murder hornets, the jokes had already begun proclaiming that 2020 is being written by Stephen King. Perhaps directed by Quentin Tarantino. Or maybe we’re all on Candid Camera. And now we have murder hornets. You can’t make this stuff up.

But wait, there’s more! We now present you with the Argentine black and white tegu, an invasive lizard that can grow up to four and a half feet long, and pretty much likes to eat whatever it wants. (4) 

Pets Now, Invasive Lizards Later

These invasive lizards have been spotted throughout Georgia for a few years now, but wildlife officials are currently making a big push toward eradicating it. Though this lizard is not a threat to humans, nor most of our pets, unfortunately the native wildlife isn’t so lucky. The tegu’s menu varies widely… they enjoy everything from fresh fruit to eggs. Turns out they even have a taste for some of the more rare delicacies. Take for instance the gopher tortoise, who is a candidate for listing in the Endangered Species Act. Tegus like to eat the gopher tortoise’s eggs, and their babies too, and as you might expect the local wildlife officials would prefer to nip that in the bud. (4)

Not surprisingly, Tegus are popular in the worldwide pet trade. This is of course how they end up as invasive lizards in places they don’t belong, and Georgia isn’t the only state with this problem. Where it’s only been a few years now that Georgia has been trying to eradicate these pesky lizards, Florida has been battling with the tegu for longer than that. It’s tough to get a handle on things once they’ve been able to get themselves established in the wild and begin to reproduce. (4)

So this is a message worth repeating: It is never a good idea to release animals that you can no longer care for, out into the wild. If for some reason you can no longer keep your pet, whatever species it is, re-home them in a place that will be safe and healthy for them. It’s no more appropriate to release your snake or lizard into the wild, than it is to release your dog or cat. Not only is it cruel, but it can also have detrimental effects on native and endemic populations. So don’t do it! Re-home your pets the right way. You may end up saving more lives than just theirs.