COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said it continues to receive reports of wild and free-ranging non-native black and white tegu lizards.
They have reported 13 sightings since the initial report from Lexington County in August of last year.
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Black and white tegus have been reportedly seen throughout the state, including in Greenville, Pickens, Darlington, Orangeburg, Berkeley, Richland and Lexington counties.
More than half of the sightings have come from the Columbia area.
Last week, two lizards were reported in Lexington and Richland counties. Nine tegus have been successfully removed from the wild, officials said.
In June, the SCDNR announced a ban on non-native Argentine black and white tegu lizards being brought into South Carolina. Owners of tegu lizards are required to register the reptiles with the SCDNR by Sept. 25.
Growing up to 4 feet long and weighing 10 pounds or more, tegus -- native to South America -- are an invasive species that threatens wildlife.
The lizards will eat the eggs of ground-nesting bird -- including quail and turkeys -- and other reptiles, such as American alligators and gopher tortoises, both protected species. They will also eat chicken eggs, fruit, vegetables, plants, pet food, carrion and small live animals, from grasshoppers to young gopher tortoises, according to wildlife experts.
There are concerns, as well, that tegus could spread exotic parasites to native wildlife and cause bacterial contamination of crops.
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