Florida

Exotic African Lizard Found Roaming on Plane

A worker on a plane got quite the surprise Thursday when an exotic lizard was spotted in the cargo area.

The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom Unit responded to the scene to corral the Black Throat Lizard, that was hanging out inside a container in the cargo area. The Venom Unit captured the 4 foot reptile using a dog crate. The reptile was checked out and appeared to be in good condition, officials said.

Officials did not reveal which airport the lizard was found and they don't know how it ended up on the plane.

The reptile was handed over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Black Throat Lizards are native to Tanzania and can become aggressive if they are not handled regularly.  However, the lizards are known to be docile and have mild temperaments in captivity. 

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MDFR Venom Unit
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom One unit was called to assist FWC in the retrieval of a Black Throat Lizard that was found inside a cargo plane.
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