The five-foot-long lizard was seen in North Port, Florida casually strolling along a busy road earlier this month in a now-viral video.
Miami Herald reported that the lizard, which is probably an Asian water lizard, is an invasive species. They are usually between four and six feet long, but can grow up to 10 feet in length.
The video was taken by Renee Aland along Hillsborough Boulevard while driving with her daughter Zoey Marzonie. She shared videos and photos of her encounter on Facebook on May 20, writing that she “did a double take” while driving and reported the sighting to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Invasive lizard spotted by roadside in Florida.
Renee Aland/TMX
Invasive dog-sized lizards are spreading across the southeastern United States
“This Asian water meter was about 5 feet long…I sat there waiting to see it again because they wouldn’t even do a report without photographic proof,” Aland wrote online. “He was seen coming out of the woods near the canal on Hillsboro Blvd behind the Kia dealership and south of Bamboo rd.”
“He’s just, like, strutting across the road,” Aland says in one Facebook video. He can also be heard telling his teenage daughter to stay in the car after she asked to get close to the lizard.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Aland told PEOPLE she thought her “eyes were playing tricks” on her when she first saw the giant lizard, so she stopped and watched the brush in her rearview mirror to try to spot it again.
She calls trying to get evidence to send to the FFWCC an “exercise in futility” and was “a bit shocked” when the reptile finally reappeared for her video.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(841x429:843x431)/giant-Lizard-Florida-053124-1-a53417c2a6e84976930b10592b13f8df.jpg)
Another shot of the lizard.
Renee Aland/TMX
Aland also noted that the semi-aquatic lizard is no stranger to crossing busy roads. “I was a little surprised how many times he tried to cross the street and turned around,” she told McClatchy News, adding that the animal would have “done damage” to the car.
FFWCC officials told McClatchy News they “believe it to be an Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator), but cannot definitively confirm the identification based on the video sent to us.” However, their team of biologists is monitoring sightings of this animal to “determine potential response efforts.”
Georgia officials are trying to stop the noxious, invasive lizards, which can grow up to 4 feet
If you ever come across an Asian water lizard, the FFWCC encourages people to report it to the Invasive Species Hotline by calling 888-IVE-GOT1.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education