Green iguanas out of control in S. Taiwan | 台北市立動物園資訊網

2020年1月1日—'Godzilla-like'reptileshavespreadwildlyafterbeingreleasedbyowners.Morethan4000greeniguanaswerecaughtinsouthernTaiwanlast ...

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 4,000 green iguanas were caught in southern Taiwan last year, raising fears that the invasive species is growing out of control, CNA reported[1] on Tuesday (Dec. 31).

Citing a Pingtung County Department of Agriculture news release, the report said that many southern Taiwanese will have seen the reptiles running around in the wild. Iguanas emerald green young are considered to be cute and were introduced to Taiwan to be sold as pets, the department said.

As adults, the lizards look more like "Godzilla," a fictional monster that originated in a series of Japanese films, according to the department. This has lead to their owners releasing them into the wild, where they breed and spread rapidly, the department said.

Not only do the iguanas eat crops, but they also cause ecological disruption, the department added.

In 2013,...