Wayward lizard finds new home under Libertyville couple's patio

Betty Moran said she stepped onto the rear patio of her Libertyville home Friday, hoping to spend a quiet afternoon reading a summertime novel when she first saw the unwanted visitor.

Staring back at her was a two-and-a-half foot-long lizard, its long, blue forked tongue fully extended.

"I jumped up on the picnic table," said Moran, 66, her face hinting at a fear that lingers days later. "I ran inside, slammed the door and called my neighbor."

Although the leafy expanses lining St. Mary's Road are not where one expects to find an exotic reptile, the Morans say their coldblooded guest has found a home beneath their front deck.

"We thought that it might be an iguana, but then I saw it eat a mouse in a single gulp," she said. "Then on Saturday it was sunning itself on our deck, looking into the house and scratching on the window."

Sam Sweet, professor of Zoology at the University of California Berkeley, identified the animal as an African savannah monitor lizard through photos taken by the Morans.

"It appears to be someone's pet that escaped after being well cared for several years," Sweet said Monday. "My guess is that the publicity will reunite it with its owner. Savannah monitors are really harmless - just pick it up."

The Libertyville Police Department loaned the Morans a cage to trap the lizard. Hamburger and apples lay on a plate, untouched.

Jim Moran, 68, performed a 'tap-dance' on the deck in an attempt to flush out the lizard, but to no avail.

"When he saw me over the weekend, he didn't seem overly concerned," he said.

Monitor lizards are intelligent and adaptable reptiles known for their venomous bites and quick-whipping tails. They are native to Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia, where they can grow up to seven feet in length. Despite their strengths, monitors are tropical lizards and a few chilly nights can quickly push them to the brink of death.

Sweet said people should contact organizations like the Chicago HERP Society when they encounter strange reptiles not native to the area.

"What happens all too often is that people hit the panic button and call the police who decide it is a problem and shoot the animal," he said. "People should instead contact these organizations and somebody will try to find a good home for it."

So while the Morans are pleased to know the monitor is probably domesticated and therefore harmless, don't expect them to welcome it with open arms.

"I'd rather face a lion than this lizard; reptiles are not my thing," said Betty Moran. "In my dreams, I've been hoping that the coyotes can have a feast."