Beltsville apartment complex says loose reptile has been captured

BELTSVILLE, Md. — A reptile roaming an apartment complex in Prince George's County has been captured, according to a property spokesperson. Last week, the Lighthouse at Twin Lakes Apartment Homes emailed residents warning them to be vigilant due to an animal that looked similar to an alligator.

In a letter to residents on Saturday, Clarissa Johnson said animal control officers had been called to trap the loose reptile. 

"Please be careful while entering and exiting your home. Please be mindful of your kids playing outside and while walking your pet(s)," Johnson wrote in the letter.

In an updated statement shared with WUSA9 on Friday, a property spokesperson said the animal had been caught and retrieved by Maryland wildlife officials. 

"A reptile, which is similar in appearance to an alligator, was seen roaming throughout the community earlier this week. Once discovered, animal control and Maryland wildlife officials were notified immediately. The animal was captured and retrieved by the Department of Wildlife," the spokesperson said. 

It's still not clear what the animal is, or how it came to be roaming the Prince George's County complex. We have reached out to wildlife officials to try to get more information.

Alligators are not native to Maryland. According to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the American alligator is found in the United States from North Carolina to the Rio Grande in Texas. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, slow-moving rivers. They also live in swamps, marshes and lakes.

Male alligators are larger than female alligators. The average adult size for a female is 8.2 feet (2.6 meters), and the average size for a male is 11.2 feet (3.4 meters). Exceptionally large males can reach a weight of nearly half a ton or 1,000 pounds, the zoo said on its website.