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Paperboy Note: See URL for photo of poisonous, aggressive lizard)

WJXT (Jacksonville, Florida) 07 August 07 Poisonous, Aggressive Lizard Found Wandering Streets
Jacksonville, Fla.: The large lizard found near a firehouse might be a semi-regular sight in the deep reaches of Africa, but it's wild find in Jacksonville.
Animal Control officials said a potentially dangerous and poisonous Nile Monitor was safely captured and locked up Tuesday evening.
"At first, I thought it was an alligator because of its coloring," said Animal Control officer Rob Currey. "When he popped his head up and hissed at me I realized he wasn't."
Currey said he inspected the large black-and-white lizard and realized it was a Nile Monitor, a lizard not native to the states and illegal to own in Florida.
The 3-foot-long reptile was found wandering around in front of Firehouse 58.
"You look at it and say, 'That doesn't belong here.' It doesn't belong in Florida for that matter," Fire Chief David Rounds.
The quick-thinking firefighters at Firehouse 58 grabbed a garbage can and corralled the lizard into a corner and trapped it.
The Nile Monitor stayed trapped in a corner of the fire station until it was removed by Animal Control -- a good move because the lizards are known for their aggressive temperament, powerful bite and lashing tail.
Currey said it was fortunate that the lizard was captured when it was because the wandering Nile Monitor was hungry.
"They grown pretty big, and luckily we got him when he was little," Currey said.
Nile Monitors can grow to be 7 feet, and are known as the largest lizards in Africa. The one captured Tuesday is likely to go to a reptile rescue or the Jacksonville Zoo.
Poisonous, Aggressive Lizard Found Wandering Streets

>>Paperboy Note: See URL for photo of poisonous, aggressive lizard)
>>

Looks like a tegu to me. not a monitor.
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PHWyvern

TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville, Florida) 09 August 07 Wayward lizard fans the flames (Jessie-Lynne Kerr)
Photo at URL below: Jacob Long, a 22-year-old student who lives near Jacksonville Fire Rescue Station No. 58, lost his lizard. It turns out that Brian, a 3-foot-long Argentine Black and White Tegu, had wandered into the station, where he was captured. (Jarrett Baker)
He just found the back door unlatched and decided to take a walk and meet his neighbors.
But the 5-year-old Argentine Black and White Tegu lizard managed to create some excitement with reports that a poisonous reptile was on the loose in the neighborhood.
Not so. Animal Care and Control officials at first said Brian was a Nile Monitor lizard, a species the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission calls a "reptile of concern" and whose owners are required to have permits to possess. But they later determined he was a Tegu lizard, available at pet stores and reptile shows.
Fire and Rescue Capt. Roosevelt Prier was on duty at the station at 251 Joeandy Road in East Arlington Tuesday when a firefighter in the laundry room yelled, "Y'all gotta come see this." Cowering in a corner of the large equipment bay was the creature.
Prier called Animal Control after some of "the other courageous firefighters" corralled the lizard inside an overturned trash can.
It turns out that Brian, a perfectly legal-to-have-in-Florida reptile, lives just over the fence from the firehouse with his owner, 22-year-old student Jacob Long.
Long acquired Brian at a reptile show in Baltimore. While Brian is kept indoors during the winter, Long said he spends summers on the screened-in back porch. He's gotten out in the backyard before. This time, Brian managed to dig his way under a fence.
He and the lizard were reunited Wednesday at Animal Care and Control.
Brian, who is a little more than 3 feet long and weighs 15 pounds, "eats like a garbage disposal; just about everything," Long said.
He said everybody loves Brian. "The neighborhood kids are big fans, especially when he swallows the eggs whole."
Now if only the firefighters could warm up to him.
Wayward lizard fans the flames

definately a tegu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. It's a Black & White Tegu
2. They say "poisonous" but mean "venomous"
3. Neither Tegus nor nile monitors are poisonous or venemous
4. The stupidity and ignorance pertaining to reptiles in the popular media will never cease to amaze me

LOL

What an awesome smack down from locals in response to such a preposterous report!! I read them all. Even the lizard's neighbor got involved! Way to go!! That's good stuff. I had a good laugh from that one.
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