These 5-foot lizards are eating Florida's cats

Ah, Florida: the home of sun, sand, and cat-eating lizards.

State wildlife officials are increasing the hunt for Nile monitor lizards, which can grow more than five feet long. Officials believe thousands of Nile monitor lizards are loose in Florida, and they've recently begun terrorizing Palm Beach County. Since July 2014, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has caught 20 Nile monitor lizards, but they've got plenty more to go.

Nile monitor lizards aren't native to Florida — they're actually found in Africa, but the lizards have made their way to Florida through the exotic pet trade. Unfortunately, Florida's warm climate has been a natural fit for the lizards, and they've been eating local wildlife, including owls and reptiles, as well as cats, The Sun-Sentinel reports. If you needed another reason not to release an exotic pet into the wild, it doesn't get much more terrifying than this.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up