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Invasive Lizard 'Around 5 Feet Long' Spotted Off Road In Florida

A five-foot-long lizard was seen in North Port, Florida, casually walking along a busy road earlier this month in a now-viral video.

The Miami Herald reported that the lizard, which is presumably an Asian water monitor, is an invasive species. They are typically between four and six feet long, but can grow up to 10 feet in length. 

The video was captured by Renee Aland along Hillsborough Boulevard during a drive with her daughter, Zoey Marzonie. She shared her videos and photos of the encounter on Facebook on May 20, writing that she "did a double take" while driving and reported the sighting with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

An invasive lizard spotted alongside a Florida road.

Renee Aland/TMX

"This Asian Water Moniter was around 5ft long…  I had been sitting there waiting to see it again as they wouldn't even make a report without photographic proof," Aland wrote online. "It was seen coming out of the woods near the canal on Hillsboro Blvd behind the Kia dealership and just south of Bamboo rd."

"He's just, like, strutting across the road," Aland says in one Facebook video. She can also be heard telling her teenage daughter to stay in the car after she asks to get closer to the lizard. 

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Aland tells PEOPLE that she thought her "eyes were playing tricks" on her when first she saw the giant lizard, so she pulled over and watched the brush in her rear view mirror to try and spot it again.

She calls trying to get proof to send the FFWCC "an exercise in futility" and was "kind of shocked" when the reptile finally emerged again for her video.

Another shot of the lizard.

Renee Aland/TMX

Aland also noticed that the semi-aquatic lizard wasn't a stranger to crossing busy roads. "I was a little taken aback at how many times it attempted to cross the street and turned around," she said to McClatchy News, adding that the animal "would do some damage" to a car.

FFWCC officials told McClatchy News that they "believe it to be an Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) but are unable to definitively confirm identification based off the video that was sent to us." However, their team of biologists are monitoring sightings of this animal to "determine potential response efforts."

If you're ever to encounter an Asian water monitor lizard, the FFWCC encourages people to report it to the invasive species hotline and call 888-IVE-GOT1.


'Snake-like' Skink Lizard Spotted In Baguio

Published June 18, 2024 8:49pm

One woman from Baguio City couldn't help but feel terrified when she saw what she thought was a snake slithering on the floor of their office.

According to Kuya Kim on "24 Oras," Tuesday, Chin Walcien mistook the creature for a snake, but upon further inspection, realized it had two sets of feet. She surmised it to be around six to 10 inches long, and described it to be brown to black in color.

Per Kuya Kim, what she saw was actually a skink lizard. A skink lizard is often mistaken for a snake due to its long body; it also moves more like a snake than a lizard because of its small legs.

Herpetologist Arvin Diesmos explained on "24 Oras" that skink lizards are also called earth lizards.

"'Yung unique na character nitong lizards na ito palaging nasa ilalim ng lupa. In fact, may mga nakita na kami na behavior na para silang lumalangoy sa lupa, para silang mga ahas na rin kung gumalaw," said Diesmos.

"Isa pang unique na character 'yung bilang ng kanilang mga daliri ay nagbabago. May mga ibang species na kumpleto, lima, subalit may mga species naman na nababawasan."

Skink lizards are also known as the second-largest group of lizards after geckos or "tuko." Kuya Kim said that there are more than 1,200 species of skinks, which can be found in various habitats like forests, mountains, and even urban environments.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News


Giant 5-Foot Lizard Spotted Strolling Across Busy Florida Road

MadameNoire Featured Video

An invasive 5-foot-long lizard has been spotted in the Sunshine State, but it's honestly just another normal Florida day.

On May 20, the animal, presumed to be an Asian water monitor, was seen trotting across a busy road in Florida, leaving passersby stunned, according to a report by Fox News.

"He's huge," said Renee Aland in a video she shared on social media of the lizard. "He's just strutting across the road. He's heading to the other side of the road."

At one point during the clip, Aland's daughter, Zoey Marzonie, can be heard asking to get closer to the animal; however, her mother quickly says, "Nope, just stay in the car."

Instead, Aland phoned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and waited until they arrived to capture the entire incident on camera. She admits that, at first, due to its size, she thought the lizard was an alligator.

"When we got closer, I looked, and I saw his tongue, [a] lizard tongue coming out, and I was like, 'Oh, crap, that's not a gator!'"

Her daughter likened the lizard to something she'd seen on the popular Disney Channel show Jessie.

"It was like this big lizard, and I've seen something like it before," Marzonie recalled. "Have you heard of the show Jessie for Disney Channel? It was like that big lizard in Jessie. It was just strolling. It was huge, at least four or five feet. It was pretty crazy. I wanted to get out and get closer, I was like, what is that? I wanted to see it, but she said, 'No, stay in the car.'"

Just a week before this incident, another invasive species, Peter's rock agama, was seen making its way up the coast of Florida. The red-headed reptile is just yet another animal that natural resources extension agent with the University of Florida, Ken Gioeli, says is a part of "the invasion front" in the southern state.

"They're causing some impact on the environment, but we still don't yet have a total handle on what it is they're doing," said Gioeli.

It looks like the lizards want to enjoy the Sunshine State as much as its current residents!





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