SC announces ban on invasive lizard, issues new rule for pet owners
As of this Memorial Day weekend, it got a lot harder to bring a species of large lizard into the Palmetto State.
It is now illegal to bring a tegu lizard into South Carolina or breed the lizards within the state, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources announced. The ban went into effect on Friday.
Tegu owners are also now required to register their scaly pets with DNR.
The new action follows concerns that the South American reptile has become an invasive species in the Southeast. The Argentine black-and-white tegu has been growing in popularity as a pets. But the animals can wreak havoc if they escape in the wild, as their preference for bird eggs threatens various species of ground-nesting fowl and even endangered tortoises that lay their eggs in the ground, wildlife officials say.
Wild populations of tegus are already established in Florida and Georgia, and the lizard has been spotted in the wild in South Carolina, including in Lexington and Richland counties.
Black-and-white tegus, the largest tegu species, can grow up to 4 feet long and weigh up to 10 pounds and have a life span of about 20 years, according to wildlife officials. They are omnivores and eat plants as well as various types of eggs, pet food, small mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians and birds, according to DNR.
“Tegus are predatory lizards, and they have been known to eat a variety of native species, such as quail and gopher tortoises, which are an endangered species in South Carolina,” said Will Dillman, DNR’s assistant chief of wildlife. “These regulations are aimed at stopping the proliferation of tegus before they are able to establish and do real damage in our state.”
The new regulation adds tegus to the state’s list of restricted non-native wildlife. Current tegu owners have until Sept. 25 to register their lizard with DNR. After that date, it will be illegal in South Carolina to possess an unregistered tegu.
