A 12-inch bearded dragon — an illegal lizard in Hawaii — was captured last Friday on Oahu.
A 12-inch bearded dragon — an illegal lizard in Hawaii — was captured last Friday on Oahu.
The state Department of Agriculture says a woman thought she had captured an iguana outside her Waianae home last Friday and her son called the department. But when quarantine inspectors arrived at the home on Puuhulu Road, they discovered that it was a bearded dragon.
It measured about 12 inches from snout to vent. Inspectors did a short search of the area but could not determine where the lizard came from.
In 2014, a Kailua, Oahu, resident found a bearded dragon under his home and also had mistaken it for an iguana. Iguanas are established in some areas on Oahu, but illegal to possess and transport.
Bearded dragons are native to central Australia and are common in the pet trade on the mainland, according to the agriculture department. They may grow up to 2 feet in length and their diet consists of insects, flowers, fruit and vegetable matter. Larger adults may also consume small rodents and invertebrates.
Persons possessing illegal animals are subject to stiff penalties, including fines of up to $200,000 and up to three years in jail, according to the department.
Individuals with illegal pets are encouraged to voluntarily turn them in under the department’s Amnesty Program, which offers immunity from prosecution. Anyone with information or knowledge of illegal animals in Hawaii is asked to call the department’s Pest Hotli9ne at 643-PEST(7378).