Many residents of Florida may have noticed lizards with orange heads and dark blue bodies darting around their neighborhoods recently.
With April kicking off breeding season for many Florida critters, these colorful lizards are likely to become much more common in the coming months.
What some Florida residents might not know is that these lizards — Peters’s rock agama — are an invasive species in the Sunshine State.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
Peters’s rock agama is known for its vibrant colors and large size, with males growing up to 1 foot long, although they are originally from East Africa, as noted by the University of Florida.
While many of these lizards are quite colorful, the University of Florida researchers point out that females, young agamas, and nonbreeding males tend to have more muted, “brownish, rough-scaled bodies.”
The bolder color scheme tends to come about in males during the breeding season, which happens during spring and summer.
While Florida is fraught with other small lizards like geckos, UF researcher Dr. Steve Johnson says there are some ways to tell them apart.
“Peters’s rock agama are larger than most geckos in Florida (note we only have one native species of gecko),” Johnson explains. “The agama have spiny scales and a somewhat rough appearance, whereas our geckos have small, flat scales and look much smoother. Also, Peters’s rock agama are active during the day, but the geckos are active mainly at night.”
HOW CAN I SPOT ONE?
While many people in South and Central Florida may have already seen one of these lizards, they don’t usually stray far from some kind of hiding place.
According to experts at the University of Florida, they can often be seen on:
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building walls
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fences
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tree trunks
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sidewalks
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curbs
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pavements
“At one site near Punta Gorda, they live around a highway overpass and take refuge in the gaps between the concrete construction of the overpass,” the university’s website reads. “They are wary of people and quickly flee if approached too closely.”
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
These lizards were first introduced to the Sunshine State via the pet trade in the mid-1970s, and they’ve since spread rapidly through the southwest corner of the state.
The southern areas of Florida tend to have a warmer climate similar to their native East Africa, Johnson says. But the colder winters in North Florida and the panhandle limit how far they can spread.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Peters’s rock agama have been sighted in the following counties:
Statewide, the number of reported sightings over the past year has seen a big boom.
While there have been many sightings down south, Central Florida as a whole has seen a relatively low volume.
However, the number of sightings in Brevard County has skyrocketed from last year, rising from just over 280 in April 2024 to 630 on Friday evening.
CAN I KEEP ONE AS A PET?
The Peters’s rock agama is considered Class III wildlife, meaning that a permit is required to have them for exhibition or sale, the FWC states.
Despite that, a permit is not required to keep one as a personal pet.
However, the FWC urges owners to not let these lizards loose, as they’re still considered an invasive species. Instead, owners can surrender an unwanted pet agama through the FWC’s Exotic Pet Amnesty Program.
ARE THEY DANGEROUS?
Johnson explains that these agama don’t pose a risk if eaten by pets, but they could potentially bite.
“This would most likely just startle the pet, but not hurt it,” Johnson told News 6. “People need to be encouraged to keep their pet cats indoors, by the way. But that is a story for another day.”
ARE THEY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Johnson said that there has been little research on the Peters’s rock agama, though it appears “unlikely” that they’ve had any major impacts.
“This is mainly because they only occur in suburban areas that are dominated by people and development,” the University of Florida says. “As a result, there is little potential for Peters’s rock agama to compete with native species for food or space.”
Despite that, UF experts suggest that they might have the “potential to negatively impact imperiled butterflies” in South Florida and the Florida Keys.
“Regardless, they are not native and should not be here,” Johnson states.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SEE ONE?
Researchers are still trying to gain more understanding of the impact of nonnative species in the state.
As a result, they rely on “citizen scientists” to help identify when ne w populations spring up or when existing populations expand, the University of Florida explains.
Florida residents who spot a Peters’s rock agama can report the sighting by clicking here.
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