THE REGISTER (Barnstable, Massacusetts) 20 July 06 Exotic animals emerge as concern in Dennis (Nicole Muller)
Animal Control Officer Cheryl Malone has recently alerted Dennis residents that reptile wrangling has been added to her job description.
Malone received the first call July 10.
"A woman was slightly freaked out by a large lizard she saw in her garden," Malone said. Malone captured the lizard with assistance from Natural Resource Officer Jaime Cabot.
The lizard is a 2 1/2-foot-long spotted tegu. "I caught a second tegu yesterday," Malone said Tuesday. "Someone is abandoning them when they grow too big for the aquarium they were kept in. People think it's fun to own an exotic pet, but it's not so wonderful when that lizard grows up."
The tegu is sold in pet stores. Malone said many people fail to research the lizards before impulsively buying them. "The tegu can grow to four feet long and requires very specific handling and housing conditions," she said. "The cute little six-inch pet quickly outgrows its 20-gallon aquarium tank. Few owners are prepared to devote six square feet of a room to accommodate a mature lizard."
Although the small lizards are cute, thus attractive to youngsters, the mature lizard inflicts a painful bite and will scratch or whip their hard tails when bothered. "Captive lizards require special lights to replace the sun they are denied by being kept indoors, and because tegus are predators, they must be fed crickets, worms and baby mice when small and full-size rodents when mature. They require special supplements to maintain bone and skin health."
In addition, tegus cannot be house broken, so their cages quickly become messy and smelly. "There's a high possibility of both the animal and the people it lives with becoming sick from the bacteria that gathers in the dirty tank," Malone warned.
Malone believes that a combination of these needs resulted in the owners of the abandoned tegus to give up. "Sadly, instead of contacting people who could take the animals to a new home that would provide proper care, the owners chose to release the animals into the wild. Tegus are tropical animals and will die of exposure if they do not succumb to starvation or dehydration."
The first captured tegu was taken to the New England Reptile and Raptor Center in Taunton. The second, at 1 1/2 feet long, is at Harwich Pet Supply. "I had no proper place to house the poor thing," Malone said. "They are not in the business of rescuing animals, but they were kind enough to hold the tegu for me until I can move him permanently."
Stressing the importance of responsible pet ownership, Malone encourages people to consult a veterinarian to discuss animal behavior issues.
Anyone wishing to report an animal-related problem is asked to call Malone at 508-394-1315.
Exotic animals emerge as concern in Dennis