Massachusetts woman mistakes dead Argentinian lizard for alligator
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reptile Rescue Coordinator Tom Bunsell handles an Argentine black and white tegu. (2015 Getty Images)
A woman caused a scare when she mistakenly thought a dead reptile that washed up along the banks of a Massachusetts river was an alligator.
The Eagle-Tribune reports Deborah Salerno and her husband were exploring a new boat ramp on the Merrimack River in Methuen on Saturday when she saw the scaly creature floating in the water.
Salerno's husband thought it could possibly be a caiman, the gator-like reptile spotted on the streets of nearby Lowell earlier this month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Not knowing what to do, Salerno called the police. Officers responded, but they determined that no further action was needed.
The manager of a nearby pet store identified the creature as an Argentine black and white tegu, a large lizard that's legal to own as a pet in Massachusetts.