This giant invasive lizard is now taking over Georgia backyards — here’s what you need to know
- The Argentine black and white tegu, a non-native species, has established wild breeding populations in at least two Georgia counties, raising alarm from wildlife officials who warn they can decimate local bird, turtle, and small mammal populations.
- Adults can reach up to four feet in length and have a voracious appetite for eggs — meaning they pose a direct threat to ground-nesting birds like quail and turkeys, as well as protected reptiles like gopher tortoises.
- Recent confirmed sightings in Toombs and Tattnall counties have triggered an official eradication campaign by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which urges residents to report any tegu sightings immediately — and if possible, capture or humanely dispatch the lizard.
- These animals are often escaped or released pets that survive Georgia’s mild winters by burrowing, making them especially difficult to control once they’ve bred in the wild.
- Experts say a cold snap could slow their spread, but with no natural predators in Georgia, the tegu invasion could soon expand statewide unless aggressive trapping and public awareness efforts ramp up.