Latest on 2020 apocalypse bingo card: "concerning" invasion of large non-native lizards in SC

[Tanuki]

https://www.fitsnews.com/2020/09/11/a-concerning-amount-of-non-native-lizards-larger-than-a-cat-spotted-across-sc-dnr-says/

...."Since Aug. 21, there have been EIGHT other tegu lizard sightings in four different counties.

Eight large non-native lizards… between two and three feet, creeping around SC. Five of them were spotted in Lexington and Richland counties, two in Berkeley County, and one in Greenville County.
....
“The number and distribution of black and white tegu reports in just a few weeks is concerning. Documented sightings come from as far north as Greenville county and as far south as Berkeley county,” State Herpetologist Andrew Grosse said.

These “voracious” lizards, popular in the pet trade, can grow up to 4 feet long and weigh up to 10 pounds...
.....
"The introduction of any non-native species can have serious negative impacts on native wildlife. Black and white tegus are no exception,” said SCDNR herpetologist Andrew Grosse, “Tegus mature and reproduce quickly, though most concerning may be their preference for eggs and the potential impacts to our native ground-nesting birds like turkey and quail, as well as other species such as the state-endangered gopher tortoise.” ...(more)

[nocoincidences]

1. Tegus are very sweet lizards,

with a personality like a dog. They become attached to their owners, and like to be carried around.

Somebody's pet got loose!

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. Somebody let them loose

It's one thing to have a one foot lizard as a pet that you can feed crickets. A 4 foot, 10 pound lizard is another thing entirely.

[Blue_true]

9. They are in the rural South.

The pet owner(s) had better hope they are not good eating. Case in point, high breeding invasive fish that were introduced to southern rivers and lakes now form the backbone of a pretty lucrative meat market, so much so that bag limits have been placed on some of them so that the “industry” won’t get wiped out.

Someone is going to kill one of those lizards, dress it and grill it. If it tastes good, it’s goodbye big lizard.

[machoneman]

2. Geez, I thought they meant Republiscum state senators! Or that oily Graham character!

[LuckyCharms]

3. That's just Trump without his makeup.

[hatrack]

4. Great. Maybe somebody could release some water monitors - 6' and 50 lbs at max

Or go big and import some Komodo dragons.

Let's just . . . get it over with.

[BGBD]

5. 4 feet and 10 lbs?

Meh, don't even care.

This is fucking 2020, if we aren't talking legitimate dinosaurs showing up, I don't have room to worry about it.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. South Carolinians will put them on a grill and BBQ them.

At least some Low Country guys I knew there back in the day would.

They'll also make a pilaf out of any critter that moves.

KY

[Blue_true]

10. That is my guess also. Someone is going to cook one up soon. If they taste good, that

it for them.

[Tanuki]

14. Don't let any of it go to waste!

http://leatherplaza.tripod.com/lizard_bag.htm

[TheBlackAdder]

8. Ahh, they're the space alien lizard People QAnon warned about -before- they take human form!

[ecstatic]

11. lol. At least the murder hornets never materialized.

At least not on my porch.

Hopefully the lizards don't figure out how to get to Atlanta.

[abqtommy]

12. Dress out those lizards and put 'em in the smokehouse*!

* movie Free State Of Jones

[GulfCoast66]

13. I see one of those in my yard, I break out the .22.

Florida has enough invasive animals.