tegu management in Florida
The Argentine black and white tegu, a large, diurnal, active-foraging lizard, has found its way into Florida through the pet trade. This invasive species has established breeding populations in Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties, with additional populations in Charlotte and St. Lucie counties.
The tegu’s potential for rapid population growth, coupled with its ability to thrive across Florida, makes it a significant threat to local ecosystems. As omnivorous generalists, tegus have a diverse diet that includes berries, invertebrates, and vertebrates. In Hillsborough County, tegus have been found to consume a wide variety of species, including the eggs of several reptiles or grounf nesting birds. Alarmingly, they have also been found to consume young gopher tortoises, a threatened species in Florida.
Tegus are currently reproducing in the wild north of the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Charlotte County, FL. Most of the current removal efforts in this area occur along roadsides, as disturbed landscapes appear to be preferred by tegus. However, a systematic and large-scale removal effort would be logistically difficult due to the high proportion of privately-owned land in this area.
The University of Florida team, in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, aims to estimate tegu abundance and response to removal efforts in the area immediately north of the Babcock Webb WMA. We also work to evaluate the spatial extent to which tegus have spread into suitable upland environments in northwestern Babcock Webb WMA.
The tegu’s potential for rapid population growth, coupled with its ability to thrive across Florida, makes it a significant threat to local ecosystems. As omnivorous generalists, tegus have a diverse diet that includes berries, invertebrates, and vertebrates. In Hillsborough County, tegus have been found to consume a wide variety of species, including the eggs of several reptiles or grounf nesting birds. Alarmingly, they have also been found to consume young gopher tortoises, a threatened species in Florida.
Tegus are currently reproducing in the wild north of the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Charlotte County, FL. Most of the current removal efforts in this area occur along roadsides, as disturbed landscapes appear to be preferred by tegus. However, a systematic and large-scale removal effort would be logistically difficult due to the high proportion of privately-owned land in this area.
The University of Florida team, in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, aims to estimate tegu abundance and response to removal efforts in the area immediately north of the Babcock Webb WMA. We also work to evaluate the spatial extent to which tegus have spread into suitable upland environments in northwestern Babcock Webb WMA.