Leaping lizards! Officials warn of water monitor on the loose in Mass. town

Webster officials are warning residents to be on the lookout for a potentially dangerous water monitor that is on the loose in the lakeside town.

“There is a water monitor loose in the area of Blueberry lane off from upper gore,” Webster Animal Control

wrote

on its Facebook page Friday. “If you spot this reptile, please immediately contact animal control or the police department. Please DO NOT approach and let the professionals handle the animal.”

Water monitors are a large species of exotic lizard native to Southeast Asia. They can grow to be six to eight feet long and up to 100 pounds. If threatened, water monitors can be aggressive and may transfer dangerous bacteria through their bites.

In addition to their bites, water monitors can also cause injury via their sharp claws and long, strong tails.

While their bites may carry bacteria that cause infection, water monitors are not venomous. Most bites happen when humans try to catch or handle the reptiles.

Blueberry Lane is close to the town’s picturesque Webster Lake, which is also known by its Algonquian name, Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Water monitors are excellent swimmers and often inhabit lakes and rivers.

Officials did not provide details about the size of the water monitor or where they believe it came from.

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.