14 large lizards worth $35K stolen from Punta Gorda reptile breeding facility
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Fourteen large lizards were stolen from a Punta Gorda reptile facility on Monday night, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The lizards, called tegus, were stolen between 11:15 p.m. – 11:35 p.m. and are worth around $35,000 combined, said Jesse Hardin, the owner of Jesse’s Jungle.
Some of the reptiles measure up to 5-feet in length, like Hellboy, who is 56 inches long. Six of the tegus taken were females who are ready to lay eggs — one of them was stolen while she was in the middle of laying eggs, Hardin said....