Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So this afternoon as my girlfriend and I are heading back to my apartment from the complex's community pool, she points towards a bush and says "look a lizard!" I look just in time to see a big grey tail slip into the bush. After having my roommate grab a pair of leather gloves from inside the house, I began digging through the bush. After a few second I pull out a 15" savannah monitor. Quite a suprising find for a sunday afternoon. The pic below is of the monitor in a spare cage it is currently being held in.

Lost interest, or the realities of proper care and their expenses caught up to them after buying a $5 lizard and expecting to put out for $5 lizard care. Offer that animal what its former owner didnt for whatever reason, proper care husbandry and a good home. If it were a hatchling it would be around 5 inches long or so.

We assumed as much. One of the local pet shops purchases large #s of imported savannahs a couple of times a year. Its possible it just escaped during the devestation caused by Hurricane Frances, but more than likely someone just released it after realizing how much it cost to keep one of these critters. It has a good home now. Luckily, my roommate had an extra 4' x 2' cage to hold him for now.
You have to love Florida though. If its exotic, it seems to turn up here somewhere.

it could very well be an escaped pet. It looks to be in good health from what I can see.

I have not heard of them being found readily in the area so I doubt it is a wild florida non native.

Just to update real quick, the savannah monitor found running around my front yard yesterday is acclimating just fine to his new enclosure. Has been soaking up the heat in his/her basking spot and willingly ate when offered food this morning