"Giant Lizards Rise In Fla. — And They've Got Quite An Appetite"

"Giant lizards are coming out of hibernation in Florida. Trouble is, Robin Sussingham of WUSF reports, they're members of an invasive species with a taste for the eggs and hatchlings of native animals."

It's fight against invasive species every day in Florida. Burmese pythons and Cuban tree frogs are some of the animals that moved in uninvited. There's also this giant lizard, the Argentine black and white tegu. Tegus are coming out of hibernation right now and they're hungry. They eat eggs of native animals that conservationists want to protect."

"The tegus are native to South America, but now have breeding populations in three Florida counties. They're kept as pets but some escape or might be set loose when they get too big."

Robin Sussingham of WUSF reports for NPR's All Things Considered March 18, 2014.