The Nile monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus) has established breeding populations in Florida. Like the Burmese python, pet owners freed enough of them to start this situation.

They eat pets and are probably dangerous to small children. I would not want to make one feel cornered, either. They are big, have a nasty bite, and an active tail that hurts to be hit by. I imagine that the bite is likely to become infected, from bacterial hazards in the animal's mouth.

I believe it's illegal to shoot them in Florida, at least in town, where discharge of a gun for any reason is illegal. Self defense is presumably an exception.

Do our Forida members know if they can be shot outside of town? Could a skilled archer shoot one in his yard in town?
Or is that considered animal cruelty by the bunny-huggers like PETA? Can you even shoot a bow at all in towns there? I mean outside of an archery range, of course.

Obviously, the archer (or spearman) would have to avoid injury to adjacent property, people, pets, etc.

But can you spear or arrow such exotic animals? I know they have odd laws about those pythons.

I'm hoping that if someone reasonably claims self defense or defense of a child, one can even shoot them?

I'd think as invasive species there would be no problem with culling them, but who knows anymore.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

gunslinger -- I'm laughing so hard at that picture my eyes are watering.

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Birds like shiny new toys too.

With the stand your ground law you can shoot people pretty freely in Florida but the law makes no mention of reptiles, so if you encounter one, it's best to run.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

They taste like chicken.

Illegal to shoot them? Hell. There should be a bounty.

There should be a bounty on the slack jawed morons that release non indigenous animals.

Warning shot first if the law passed.

There should be a bounty on the slack jawed morons that were allowed to import them and on the one's that allowed it in the first place.

There are so many unwanted animals in this country already, why import non indigenous one's. I'm sure if someone absolutly has to have one they can move to the country they come from.

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Psalm 23:4

Bear in mind that apart from these reptiles, FL also has a big problem with breeding snakehead fish from Asia.

Their canals are full of them.

Florida has bigger problems than reptiles and fish....thousands of these come down from NY every year.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Yes, and it's changed Florida's political demogrphics, not for the better. Can't say more here. But those Yankee immigrants are indeed a real danger. And not just because they want a "soda" instead of a Coke or a pop...and drive at an advanced age.

She looks like a charm.

Then there's the French Canadians and their Speedos. Oui?

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Dum vivo cano

You have no idea, defensive driving takes on a whole new meaning. Think Demolition Derby.

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Dick

I held one at bay with a weedeater just today. Not the lizard, the blue hair driving in my lane.

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Bill
Dis B. Leaf

I haven't caught one yet. They say there about a half an hour north.

I've caught plenty of Cichlids that don't belong here. They imported Peacock Bass from So.America to help eat the Oscars (from the pet trade) but they also provide lots of sport fishing and don't seem to hurt the local Large Mouth Bass population.

Go on line to Florida invasive species and see all of the goodies we contend with here in a Subtropical climate.

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Dum vivo cano

I wish that I could catch some of those peacock "bass", which are themselves cichlids, not sunfish like our freshwater "bass." I know that in South America, they come in a number of species.

I think the true bass are mostly saltwater fish, of the genus Roccus, unless it's changed in recent years. The white/sand bass is the freshwater member of this genus, although we now have a hybrid introduced in many lakes.

The monitor is hissing that we need to get back on topic.

Can anyone post images of the Nile monitor lizard? It gets to over seven feet, I believe, maybe more. It's smaller than the ultimate monitor, the Komodo dragon. But I'd rather not meet one in the flower bed.

Yes they are Cichlids.


"The monitor is hissing" So bad its good.

I think your monitors will be found on the west coast of Fl.

The Pythons are about a half an hour south.

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Dum vivo cano

Wait.......can we get the pythons to eat the monitors? (or vice-versa)

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

"Nowhere else but Miami does Havana seem sooooo far away..."

I'm all for punishing people who release pythons, Nile monitors and snakeheads. But I think the folks who sell these exotic horrors should be fed to them.

Same for the two varieties of Asian carp, the "jumping" carp that are taking over rivers and endangering boaters. Buzzing along in a fishing boat and getting hit in the chops by a leaping twenty- or forty-pound fish is very bad news.

I understand there are efforts to develop commercial fisheries for the silver and big-head carp, which apparently are very good table fare. Snakeheads are also said to be tasty.

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Oh well, what the hell.

It's an East coast West coast thing and the Slunk Ape's in the middle.

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Dum vivo cano

If one of those things came at me, it'd get shot. I think you would have a pretty good case for self defense (territorial, invasive animal, which can overpower you).

I don't want to start an argument here, so bear with me:
Not included in self defense laws
Not included in animal protection laws
I'd shoot it and try to make a case because it isn't protected and you life was in danger. Some good lawyering could help

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an actual conservative

No lawyer required if you have a DA with an ounce of sense. Oh, wait....

It's Saturday night and I could not help myself.

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there in south florida its the bite that can kill ya all that bad stuff in there mouth. they get big

[QUOTE=Texas Star;137742323]I wish that I could catch some of those peacock "bass", which are themselves cichlids, not sunfish like our freshwater "bass." I know that in South America, they come in a number of species.
I think the true bass are mostly saltwater fish, of the genus Roccus, unless it's changed in recent years. The white/sand bass is the freshwater member of this genus, although we now have a hybrid introduced in many lakes.

A few years ago they were catching big Oscars and Peacock Bass in southern Fl here is some info
FL Tamiami Peacock Bass

Steve W

I suspect that if populations meet, pythons and monitor lizards will indeed eat each other. I think the pythons already eat alligators of suitable size.
The alligators probably return the favor.

Still haven't heard from anyone in the affected area about laws pertaining to these animals.

Can't read this thread without thinking of Bob and Ray: "The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest living lizard."

Bob and Ray The Komodo Dragon - YouTube

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Not in jail.

In an advisory on Tegus, another large non-native lizard in FL, its states...

Tegus are not
protected by any of Florida’s wildlife laws
but local ordinances will apply depending
on the location

I would assume the same for Nile Monitors, Nonnatives - Nile Monitor But if I were planning a hunt I'd check with Florida Fish and Wildlife to see if a license was needed.

Note that she's looking down while she's pulling in - the old guy in the background is eyeballing all the stuff in the garage that she's about to hit!

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But then, what do I know?

From Florida they move half way back, and end up in north GA. Of course around here they are known as halfbacks. Not to steal the thread, but can anyone identify that car? NICE!

Funny you should mention these.

Here are some pics of 'something'. Here's the story: I travel to Asia pretty regularly. I took these pictures from about the 20th floor of a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur in 2012. (The last pic is a gratuitous shot of the KL skyline taken recently in 2014.) I showed these pics of the 'thing' to the people in the office there; they said it was a 'river monitor' - but was the first they'd ever heard of such a thing. So I asked: "then how do you know that's what it is?" It could be a freshwater croc, alligator or some such thing? Nope - they said - we don't have those here. Really? Then what is it?

By the way: the name "Kuala Lumpur" means 'confluence of muddy rivers' in their language - Bahasa Malaya. So, yea, this river always looks like this.

So, yea, they DO exist - whatever 'they' are!

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But then, what do I know?

Brilliant. Thanks, I hadn't thought of those guys in years, good stuff.

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Halfway and one more step

The Silver Gran Marquis Onrampis Cloggeramus.
Avoid at all costs.

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Halfway and one more step

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is always kvetching about the danger of Asian carp, and my response has ALWAYS been, "Fish the hell out of them." As I recall, I thought I saw somebody on TV make some pretty good meals of them, including gumbo, I think. There are SO many things you could do with a species that you WANT to get rid of, it's not even funny. They could be everything from food fish to cat food, to fertilizer.

I've got a 6' blowgun that shoots piano wire darts with cheap necklace beads for a tail. Seems like the perfect monitor lizard medicine.

Howdy,
Mary and I snuck away in the bad weather to the Keys and from Islamorada on south we saw gobs of these on the roadside.
I doubt they would hurt you but some were 4' or better.

Thanks
Mike

I wonder if I can skin that thing like a gator? I'll give it a try when they get over here. Bet they good to eat too.

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Rick
M&P 15-22, G27 Gen4, G23

Those Iguanas are good to eat, I've had them several times in Guyana, in curry they even put some Iguana eggs in it. They are also eaten in Central America.
Steve W

There everywhere from Palm Beach south.

We also have a huge Central American population.

No one is eating them except the Vultures.

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Dum vivo cano

Maybe the Central Americans are spoiled by McDonalds. Or more likely afraid the gringos will not appreciate them hunting down the "garrobos" and chopping them up in public.
Here's some more information on one entrepreneur who is making money on them.
Iguana Meat Consumption Growing in the United States

Steve W

My neighbor asked me to check on her house last summer when she was out of town.I had heard another neighbor had some sort of lizard that liked to sun itself on the first neighbors wood pile.Im thinking its some little 16" thing.Thought I just might have my first heart attack when I turned around and found myself staring at a 4' whatever it was!

those Igunas get big, eat all your flowers and tomatos the skins can be used for all sorts of things, and yes alot of people eat them from south America. I did hear they contain several different kinds of salmonella, so wash your hand real good

SSS....Shoot Shovel Shhh, the monitor that is, not the Q-tip driving the sweet sedan. Well, maybe on second thought...never mind.

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Back to back World War Champs.

We have them here. No shooting due to being in the City Limits. They are nasty creatures. Very hard to find them and get a shot of fast enough. We have a trapping program which is useless. Much like Pythons and all the other invasive critters.

The Giant Iguanas are all over the Keys and outer Islands

We pay big money to have them live trapped and then euthanized humanly by freezing them.

The Q -Tip drivers are everywhere! Sorry no offense but that is their common name along scientific name, Snow Birds. There is no defense against them!

They have shifted means of transport from White Crown Vics to White Mini Vans with a scrunchy on the antenna to help find it in the parking lot.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Yes you can shoot them if in an area that shooting is allowed. No license or permit needed. Very very little chance of actually see one and getting a shot however.

One was on the local News. It was in a residential garage, Firefighters were called. you never say big brave Firefighters run so damn fast as it tried to nail them and escape from the garage. It rain across (as in on top of the water)the canal and was gone!

I like them better than Feral Cats, maybe they will eat those??

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Still Running Against the Wind

Up here we have a species called the Blind Lizard. They favor two-wheeled conveyances, and eschew four-wheelers. They inhabit the entire Twin Cities Metro, with a high concentration on Nicollet Island.

The Blind Lizards Motorcycle Club
The Nobody Motorcycle Club: BLIND LIZARD RALLY

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Not in jail.

THIS is why we have so many laws and why our government is so engrained in our lives . . . the general population is too stupid to do the right thing on their own.

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- Change it back -

Place bountys on them and they will soon disappear.

That's just an iguana. Big, but seldom hurt people. I just read later posts and they are indeed eaten by people in Latin America. Maybe Centrl Americans in the USA can afford other food and they don't hunt the iguans.

All lizards, turtles, etc. may infect you with salmonella, as may chickens, which seem, like all birds, to be descended from reptiles. Wash your hands after handling and cooking eggs, to avoid salmonella, and cook chicken thoroughly.