Hidden Cameras Show Florida's Newest Invasive Species Stealing Eggs

Cameras in Florida have caught tegu lizards stealing eggs from alligator nests, raising concerns among wildlife officials about the threat the invasive lizard poses to native species.

Researchers at the University of Florida set up cameras monitoring two nests in the Everglades during the spring and summer of 2013. What they captured confirmed their suspicions: The non-native lizard is preying on native species' eggs, threatening major ecological damage.

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"Between August 12 and 18, we captured images of tegus removing 0–2 eggs per day until an examination of the nest on August 19 revealed no remaining alligator eggs," head researcher and University of Florida professor Frank Mazzotti wrote in the report. "We did not capture images of any other nest predator during egg incubation." Read more...

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