AN INCIPIENT POPULATION OF ARGENTINE BLACK AND WHITE TEGUS (SALvATOR MERIANAE) IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FLORIDA, USA

Argentine Black and White Tegus (Salvator merianae) are a popular lizard species in the live animal pet trade, which has led to two established, breeding populations in Florida, USA, prior to this study. Tegus are a threat to native ecosystems through direct depredation of native wildlife and competition for resources making them a high priority for management action. In June 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) discovered a third novel, distinct population of Argentine Black and White Tegus emerging in Charlotte County, described herein. We initiated an intensive trapping effort in Charlotte County to learn more about the Tegu population, mitigate their spread, and reduce the number of individuals in the impacted area. We set baited live traps during the Tegu active season from 2018-2020, resulting in the capture and removal of 170 Tegus from the population. We also used post hoc land cover class associations with trapping locations to provide descriptions of habitat and trapping success. Our average catch per unit effort (CPUE) was 0.021 Tegus per trap day with the highest percentage (42.3%) of captures occurring in the rural land classification. Although the Tegus in Charlotte County seem to be spatially distributed within a much smaller geographic area than the larger, established population in Miami-Dade County, the CPUE for both populations are similar, which may suggest comparable densities between the populations. Future management and research efforts should focus on strategies aimed at obtaining reports from an engaged public, containing the population, and removing as many Tegus as possible, especially in nearby ecologically sensitive areas.