Large monitor lizard filmed along Charlotte County line

A lizard approximately 6 feet long was spotted this week in northern Charlotte County. Mother-daughter duo Renee Aland and Zoey Marzonie were driving on Hillsborough Boulevard near Bamboo Drive when the creature caught their attention. “So my mom told them, ‘I’m going to turn around,’” Marzonie said. “I look and I see what I think is an alligator,” Aland said with a laugh. “When we got closer, I looked and I saw his tongue, a lizard tongue sticking out, and I was like, oh shit, that’s not an alligator.” “It was like this big lizard, and I once saw something like Have you heard of the show ‘Jessie’ for Disney Channel? It was like this big lizard in ‘Jessie,'” Marzonie said . “It was just a walk. It was huge, at least 4-5 feet. It was pretty crazy. I wanted to go out and get closer, I was like, what is this? I wanted to see it but she said, ‘No, stay in the car.'” FWC and FGCU biologists report that the creature is a monitor lizard: either a water monitor lizard or a Nile monitor lizard. is difficult to confirm based on photographs. Aland sent videos to the FWC, which said: “Biologists with the FWC’s Nonnative Fish and Wildlife program confirmed that it was a non-native monitor lizard (Varanus sp). .) We believe it is an Asian monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), but we are unable to definitively confirm the identification based on this video. “Monizards are considered a high priority species for the FWC’s non-native fish and wildlife program. Our biologists continue to collect information related to sightings of this animal to determine potential response efforts and will continue monitoring. We encourage people to report sightings to our Invasive Species Hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (483-4681), through the IVEGOT1 app, or online at IveGot1.org. Clear photos and/or videos, as well as the exact location are helpful. “”As he crossed the sidewalk, he was over 5 feet long and well fed. There was a belly hanging out. I guess he’s been here for a little while and he’s eating pretty well,” Aland said. “It was really cool, I’ve never seen anything like this before, but the worry is knowing what what this is doing to our native wildlife. Obviously they’re pretty voracious eaters, so I can’t imagine they’re good for our ecosystem. Andrew Durso of FGCU’s Department of Biological Sciences said he does not yet know the ecological impacts of water monitors. They are often seen in Florida; therefore, they are not often studied. The Nile monitor lizard , however, is well established and studied in Cape Coral Neither Nile monitor lizards nor waters are believed to be in Florida. whether they’re in Florida, it’s a pet trade. This is why people bring exotic lizards to Florida, it’s not to eat them or to keep them in zoos for the most part. It’s about keeping them as pets,” Durso said. “What you don’t need to do is be afraid. Even though they are carnivorous, they pose no danger to humans. They’re not going to come after you; they are not going to attack you. They eat much smaller things than we do. I don’t mean that they can’t hurt you because they might hurt you if you went up to them and tried to catch them. They have very strong arms and legs with large, sharp claws. They have large, long tails and bite very hard. I wouldn’t recommend trying to capture one unless you are sure you are prepared to deal with their behavior. Durso said you can report sightings of these creatures using the methods listed by FWC above, or you can report them here.