What is truly sad about this situation, is people get the Tegu lizards as pets (legally) and when they get too big they think it is okay to release them in the wild, but it’s not. Now the lizards are destroying habitat and killing native species in parts of Florida. This has led to people killing the lizards when they see them. Keeping lizards as pets should be discouraged. They should live in their native habitat, and not in manmade enclosures. So many captive reptiles live horrible lives because people don't know how to properly take care of them. Sadly, this too often leads to them paying for human indifference with their lives.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/26/invasive-lizards-invading-tampa-bay/5829807/