Cameras in Florida have caught tegu lizards stealing eggs from alligator nests, raising concerns among wildlife officials about the threat the invasive lizard poses to native species.
Researchers at the University of Florida set up cameras monitoring two nests in the Everglades during the spring and summer of 2013. What they captured confirmed their suspicions: The non-native lizard is preying on native species' eggs, threatening major ecological damage.
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"Between August 12 and 18, we captured images of tegus removing 0–2 eggs per day until an examination of the nest on August 19 revealed no remaining alligator eggs," head researcher and University of Florida professor Frank Mazzotti wrote in the report. "We did not capture images of any other nest predator during egg incubation."
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The Burmese python has already invaded ecosystems in Florida, decimating various native species and growing large enough to take down prey as big as alligators. But Mazzotti says the University of Florida study shows tegus may rival Burmese pythons in the damage they can do.
“Most people looking at both species are much more concerned about the tegus than the pythons,” Mazzotti told the Miami Herald. “They have the potential to make a serious ecological impact based on what they eat and their tolerance of cold weather.”
A voracious eater, the lizard poses a threat to several federally-protected animals, including Eastern indigo snakes, Cape Sable seaside sparrow, and gopher tortoises, the report said.
If the lizard expands its habitat, other species could be at risk, including sea turtles, shore birds and ground-nesting migratory birds.
According to the Scientific American, more than 400 tegus have been captured in South Florida in the last year; the population is now estimated to be in the thousands. Mazzotti says scientists will be "removing and euthanizing" the lizards to prevent further damage to the environment.
"As we are learning they become a problem as soon as we find them," Mazzotti told Mashable. "If we wait for potential problems to become real problems it is too late."