A driver in Florida did a double take when she spotted a "4-5 foot" lizard on the side of the road in the Gulf Coast.
Renee Aland was driving with her daughter Zoey Marzonie when the giant alligator-sized creature caught their eye.
"I look, and I see what I think is a gator," Aland told NBC affiliate WBBH-TV. "When we got closer, I looked, and I saw his tongue, lizard tongue coming out, and I was like, oh crap, that's not a gator."
"It was just strolling. It was huge, at least 4-5 feet," Marzonie told the outlet. "It was pretty crazy. I wanted to get out and get closer. I wanted to see it but [my mom] said, 'No, stay in the car.'"
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Aland wrote in a Facebook post detailing the encounter that she called the Florida Wildlife Commission to report the sighting. She said the lizard was identified as a "nonnative monitor lizard" and measured about 5 feet long. The FWC believes it could be an Asian water monitor, but were unable to confirm based on the photos and video.
"Monitor lizards are considered high-priority species for the FWC’s Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program," the agency said in a statement. "Our biologists are still gathering information related to sightings of this animal to determine potential response efforts and will continue monitoring. We encourage people to report observations to our Invasive Species Hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (483-4681), via the IVEGOT1 app or online at IveGot1.org.
According to the FWC, monitor lizards are semi-aquatic and olive green to black in color. Their tails usually measure 1.5 times the length of their bodies and they can grow to over 5 feet in length.
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Aland noted the lizard appeared to be "well-fed" with a "belly hanging" as it crossed the sidewalk, WBBH reports.
"It was really cool, never seen anything like that before, but the concern is what it is doing to our native wildlife," she said. "Obviously, they're pretty voracious eaters, so I can't imagine they're good for our ecosystem."
