Advice about lizard in backyard?

Put a saddle on it and charge admission. Hee Haw.. ride that dragon!!

 

Just go outside and yell..yeeheeeeee....and the Wildman will come take care of it.

 

Surprised it took 3 pages to get to the first person that said ask your neighbors if they lost a lizard.

I would (in order):
1)Ask the neighbors/post a found sign or two.
2) Post as free pet on CL with the requirement that the new owner bring a trap.
3) self dispose of it.

I would guess that #2 is where you would need to stop.

 

As you and I'm sure most are aware people attempt to make pets of creatures that are not native to a specific area and that are beyond their control and ability to maintain. Your area is particularly bad due to climate.

Not to sound like a prick but, I don't understand why this is even a debate. If I were you (with a family and living in a neighborhood with children) this topic would never have been posted on a public forum and the "pet" would not survive another day. It may seem unfortunate to some but, at what point in time will you feel a degree of personal responsibility in the event someone is/was injured?

Without question I would quickly & discreetly destroy and remove it.

 

X2 my brother had one and he was mean as fuck. They had to get rid of him when he got that size. Me personally I would not pay to have it removed I'd prolly kill it because of my daughter being in my house. Sorry not willing to pay money to remove something that should not be living "in the wild" in that area.

 

Really Joe D? Not post in a public forum? Personal responsibility if someone is injured?? Please elaborate??

I never thought I would get flamed from asking advice from knowledgeable people on TW, as to what exactly it was and how to get rid of it???

 

Obviously you should try to feed it by hand and see if it's a nice lizard or a mean lizard. If it's nice it'll eat out of your hand, if not it'll probably tail-whip you to death so wear welding leathers and a hood

 

call animal control

 

Savannah monitors are mean as hell. i bet him being outdoors in the sun..wow. he will be a handful.

that one is large but not big enough i wouldnt jump on it. we had a black and white tegu about the same size. one hand behind it's head..the other hand over the rear hind legs..push him down on the ground. lay your crotch over the whipping tail..if not, it will tap you in the nuts hard.

when you pick him up..he will evacuate his bladder and colon..in one smelly gush. stay clear. once he dumps..put him in a pillowcase..case in a box, take him in.

animal control will kill him. no doubt. i think we sold them for $30 bucks at the pet store. they are so cheap.

take care of him/her. he is a menace to your indigenous bird life. especially the ones that lay eggs on the ground.

 

Latest update:

The local nature preserve was called and they gladly came out and caught him, which was a white throat monitor. I am glad we didn't have to "shoot him" as some people including the local wild life agencies suggested. He will hopefully life a long life at their nature center.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Please accept my sincere apology for failing to communicate in an easily understandable way. I really am not trying to flame you...

About the two points you ask...

In my mind public forum equates to public knowledge. Might not be what you want if you decide to destroy & dispose. It's a small world, within the past few days, I spoke to a person on this site that I work with. I had not previously made the connection. So we/I are/was not as anonymous as we/I may think on TW.

About the responsibility. With not too much research you can find where people (even healthy physically fit adult men) have been killed by monitor lizards (if it is that...sure looks like it). I for one would feel some responsibility if my child were maimed or worse by a critter I knew about in my own back yard.

A side note, I've actually had people attempt to convince me that releasing some of these non native creatures in your area is acceptable and legal.

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do,

Joe

 

gojira

 

I have a similar problem here.
2 alligators in the back yard. They are getting too big for my comfort, since I have 2 small dogs. They are about 4' now.
I am planning on calling animal control in the next week or so, I recommend you do the same OP.

EDIT: I started posting this before you posted your last update that it was caught. Good.

 

Now that's ^ the best outcome. Ya done good Chad!

 

Thanks for the props Offroad...now at least the kids and dogs can have their backyard back after staying out of it for the past day!

 

x2

 

well done!!

they tell you what the fate of the lizard is going to be? maybe best not knowing.

alligators?!!! you guys in FL have it crazy. i will never look at the occasional yard rat i get in my yard in the same light ever again.

in our pet shop..white throat and savannah..same thing.

 

Its going to a nature and planetarium center in town that is a private, not for profit, environmental education organization. The guy who caught it said all the kids (who were watching the catch) could come and visit it anytime.