Orlando, Fla. - Biologists are afraid that a large African lizard has set up housekeeping in a central Florida town.

Officials in Edgewood, a few miles south of Orlando on Lake Conway, have been trying to trap a 4 1/2-foot African Nile monitor lizard that has been spotted in recent weeks in backyards and even taking dips in swimming pools. Smaller lizards have also been caught or killed, including one that made its way into a house through a dryer vent and got stuck in a pipe.

The lizards have become entrenched in some areas in Florida, including Sanibel Island. Biologists believe that they were originally pets.

But the African Nile monitor grows to be as much as 7 feet long, and it is fast and powerful, with sharp claws. The females lay up to 80 eggs at a time.
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Yikes! This is really not good...everyone in that area better keep their pets indoors!

Just when I thought about moving to Florida. I hate any kind of reptile.

Ah, reptile aren't so bad. The problem with this species of lizard is that it is an aggressive opportunist. It will likely disrupt the native environment by destroying the eggs and young of several species. You wouldn't want to import the predator that keeps it in check either: the Nile Crocodile.

That's scary! I would hate to have mini-dinosaurs in my house!

oh my another person has got bored with looking after an exotic pet and let it loose in an ecosystem thats not ready for it
this could get interesting dont be suprised if they cause carnage for years to come
theres gonna be a lot of missing pet posters going up in that area
whu ha ha ha haaaaaa whu ha ha haaaaaaaa
hows ya luck !!!!!

There are too many people who take in exotic pets and then let them loose. Some are left in unfamiliar territory where the temperatures may be different than what they need in order to survive.

I have never owned a pet exotic or otherwise without first getting enough information on the animal in order to care for it properly. You need to set up a proper envirement with the right lighting and temperature and food sources. You must be dedicated to the creature for many years to come. You need to know how big they will get etc. I feel bad for these creatures that are tossed out like yesterday's garbage.

There some major populations of endangered Gopher tortoises in Sanibel Island and the surrounding area...I would hate to see these monitors kill the young.