'Cat-Sized Lizard' Rounded Up In Roseville A Sign Of Exotic Pet Problem In City
ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A large reptile was rounded up in Roseville, and animal control says this wasn't the first time.
"There was a call on the board — a cat-sized lizard," Officer Gabe Sorenson said. "And I was really excited and said, 'Hey, can I hop on that?' And he said sure."
Sorenson wasn't sure what he would find when he arrived at an apartment complex this past weekend to meet a very rattled maintenance man.
"It was a water monitor trapped inside a maintenance shed. He had trapped it in this bin," Sorenson said. "I went over there and got him and he was not happy — a lot of biting and hissing."
Sorenson had a similar lizard when he was in high school, so bagging it and bringing it to local experts was easy. The issue of exotic pets is becoming more complicated. His boss once responded to a report of a Nile crocodile.
"The biggest problem if you go walk around Roseville is the red-eared slider turtles," Sorenson said. "They are not native to this area, but they are all over waterways in Roseville. If you go to any of the streams, greenbelts and stuff you can see them in the deeper pond areas."
He says it hasn't gotten as bad as Florida where abandoned exotic species like alligators and boa constrictors are frequently found, but the latest Roseville reptile is a reminder that if you find one, you should get it to the right place.
"Go to a place that can care for these animals. Take them there. Make sure it's a safe surrender place and they'll take them," Sorenson said. "They'll care for them. Food, heat lamps, the right terrarium sizes — all the stuff they would need."
The lizard was taken to The Serpentarium where it will be cared for.
