Monitor lizard spotted in a house in Delhi, netizens say 'making the most of lockdown'

A monitor lizard was recently spotted at someone's home in Delhi, the striking image of which is going viral on social media. The chilling image of the monitor lizard was shared on Twitter by Indian Police Service (IPS) officer HGS Dhaliwal, which is now being widely shared on the microblogging platform. The image has garnered more than 5,600 likes and over 1,100 retweets since it was posted on July 9. Dhaliwal in his reply to one of the users confirmed that the lizard was spotted at a home in Delhi's Chattarpur area, where they are pretty common in the foothills of the Aravallis. 

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"It's so strange that these Monitor Lizards are seen in residential areas now. A few days back, one came in our sector too in Faridabad and officials had to be called to nab it. I guess it's poisonous too," one of the users commented on Dhaliwal's post. Another user wrote, "Not poisonous at all, please don't spread false rumours. Only venomous lizard in the world is found in America, called gila monster." The monitor lizards are protected species in India under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They are native to Asia, Africa, and Oceania and are now also found in the Americas as an invasive species. 

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Sightings in US 

State officials in two counties in Georgia, United States, have warned citizens of the increasing appearances of giant invasive lizards that can grow as big as four feet long. The Argentine black and white tegus, which are not native to the U.S. were first spotted in Florida but now, officials believe the lizards have increased in large numbers in Toombs and Tattnall counties in Georgia, John Jensen of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Conservation section said.

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