‘Gator’ Call Leads Animal Control On Lizard Chase

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Some Las Cruces children playing near an irrigation canal in the southern part of the city made a startling discovery Tuesday afternoon when they saw what was believed to be a 3-foot-long alligator.

Animal Control officers responded to the area near the 100 block of Turquoise Ave. shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday and discovered the ‘alligator’ was instead a large iguana lizard. Animal Control officers, members of the Las Cruces Police Department’s Codes Enforcement section, quickly captured the wayward lizard and transported the animal to the Dona Ana County Humane Society.

Iguanas are not known to be native to this area. This one is believed to have been someone’s pet and most likely escaped captivity. Iguanas normally feed on insects or vegetation, both of which are abundant in the area it was found. It’s possible for an iguana to live on its own for quite some time.