KSNT-TV (Topeka, Kansas) 07 February 06 Lizards Lizards Everywhere - The Italian Wall Lizard may be moving to your city. (Tom Hagen)
Lawrence: You may have seen them around Topeka...they're sort of an oddity. "These are not your typical lizards that you saw out on the farm when you were growing up" says reptile expert Joe Collins.
"These are animals you had to come to the big city to see, that's where they like to live."
It's the Italian Wall Lizard and they came all the way from Italy to Kansas.
"Back in the 1960s.there was a biological supply house over at 21st and gage in Topeka, and a guy had a bunch of Italian Wall Lizards, and we know he died in the 1960s," says Collins.
It was after the shop owner died, that the lizards escaped, started breeding and made Topeka their home.
The Italian Wall Lizards are based in Topeka, but over the last several years they've been spreading across the state. They have been found in Hays, near Wichita and in Lawrence and it could pose a problem to us and our native lizards.
Collins is concerned. "Do they bring anything to our country that might not be good for our native wildlife or for us? I do not know."
And it's those unknowns that are scary about alien animals.
"If you put something from another continent, on our continent and turn it loose and let it run around, it's a crapshoot, your taking chances you just don't know."
Collins says so far the lizards have not affected the eco-system., but have actually done some good by eating insects.
The Italian Wall Lizard may be moving to your city.