There’s a Black and White Tegu on the Loose in Santa Clara County

When someone told me over the weekend that a black and white tegu was loose in Joseph D. Grant County Park, I initially thought one of those boxy little driverless robotaxis had gone rogue. Turns out that tegus are, in fact, massive lizards native to Central and South America that like nothing more than gobbling up eggs, small mammals and fruit — and being pretty darn cute while they’re at it.

The black and white tegu was spotted last week by hikers who reported their sighting to the Santa Clara County Parks department. Rangers have been searching for the tegu near Grant Lake ever since, and are encouraging hikers to immediately report any sightings of the little guy to them.

Where the heck did this lizard come from? Well, tegus are smart and usually docile, which means people like keeping them as pets. It’s perfectly legal to do so in California, even though they can grow up to four feet long and live up to 20 years.

Here’s a pet tegu named Winston who has his own TikTok account:

@winstonthetegu #winstonthetegu #TEGU #argentine #blackandwhite #Tegus #argentinetegu #lizard #lizardlife #reptile #reptiles #fyp #foryoupage #fypシ #cute #lizardsofinstagram #tegulizard #reptilesofinstagram #happy ♬ original sound – winstonthetegu

Unfortunately, when tegus get out into American nature, they can be destructive little so-and-sos who wreak havoc on native bird populations and other small creatures. They are also speedy and fond of burrowing, making them tricky to find and catch.

@seasexotics He stole my shoes #animal #animals #pet #pets #cuteanimals #interesting #reptiles #cute #reptile #aww #tegu #blackandwhite #blackandwhitetegu #lizard #lizards ♬ original sound – Sea’s Exotics

Exacerbating matters, female tegus will lay up to 35 eggs each year; populations of the escaped reptiles can grow quickly. Both Florida and Georgia have such out-of-control tegu problems that both states recently introduced bans on breeding and selling the animals. One tegu owner, known as @thatteacherwiththelizard on TikTok, notes that “Tegus are on the same level as cats when it comes to intelligence … They’re escape artists, they’re cunning, they’re super sweet. If you have a cat, you know.”

Keep your eyes peeled if you’re in Joseph D. Grant County Park. The local birds will thank you for it.