FL Exotics: Nile Monitor Lizards

If you've been to South Florida you know we have a multitude of fascinating creatures but as our roots become more settled we introduce many new species to the land. The number of exotic reptiles and amphibians in Florida is the highest in the United States. In addition to the Burmese pythons and iguanas we also have Africa's largest lizard, the Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus). These lizards have been documented in Cape Coral, FL since 1990. And now not only are they breeding but they are expanding their range to the nearby islands. Places such as Sanibel Island, a haven for nesting birds, could face devastating declines in successful nesting. Nile Monitors have been known to threaten Burrowing Owls, waterbirds, and sea turtles. On my recent trip over to the Southwestern part of the state I had the chance to see the traps used by researchers to capture these exotics.


On these trapping adventures many Nile Monitors are captured but also other things such as raccoons and kittens. One such capture brought back this Blue-tongued Skink to the lab. Now it's a resident of the office and has its own aquarium tank. I wanted to touch it but when Kim tried to pick it up it gave us a little warning hiss. So I snapped a few pictures instead and we let it go back to its weekend nap.

While I was in the lab I also saw one of their educational props, Stuffy. Stuffy was a Nile Monitor lizard that was trapped by the city and now they use him to educate citizens about exotics and the threats of these non-natives to the ecosystem. I didn't see any live monitors while I was there and I hope that I never do. While I don't believe that this problem is going to go away anytime soon I do hope that more people will become educated about exotics and help in their capture.

Nile Monitors can reach lengths up to 8 feet and are carnivorous. To learn more about Nile Monitors please check out this research paper and the City of Cape Coral's webpage on this species.