Lizards on the loose in Wake Forest not venomous

WAKE FOREST, North Carolina (WTVD) — After warning residents about venomous lizards reportedly on the loose, they later said Friday the animals are actually non-venomous Argentine Tegus.

Police first said they learned that three Gila monsters recently escaped from a home in the Bowling Green subdivision.

A Wake Forest resident got a photo of one of the lizards and sent it to Wake County Animal Control, which forwarded it to a local veterinarian who specializes in reptiles. The veterinarian identified the lizard as an Argentine Tegu, which are not venomous and pose no danger to the public.