The man brought the lizard inside and called a wildlife center, which stepped in to help.
WASHINGTON — A Rhode Island man shoveling his driveway after last week’s massive winter storm made a shocking find: a big lizard trying to crawl out of the snow.
The lizard, later identified as a tegu, was buried under nearly 20 inches of snow along one of the busier streets of Providence and was trying to crawl out, according to the New England Wildlife Center.
“Thankfully (it) takes more than a couple feet of snow and a rogue reptile to rattle this resident,” the wildlife center said in a social media post.
It’s unclear whether the tegu escaped or was abandoned, the center said.
The man brought the lizard inside and wrapped it in a t-shirt to help conserve heat. He reached out to a pet store that specializes in reptiles, which immediately went to collect the lizard. The rogue reptile was then taken to the New England Wildlife Center.
After the tegu warmed up, it was still weak, underweight and not moving well, the wildlife center said. The lizard had suffered frostbite to its tongue and showed signs of muscle weakness due to cold exposure.
“Reptiles are cold blooded, meaning they rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature,” the wildlife center said. “When temperatures drop too low for too long, their metabolism slows, blood flow is compromised, and cells begin to fail. In this case, the cold likely led to tissue damage and a cold induced myopathy, essentially muscle injury caused by inadequate circulation and energy at low temperatures.”
The tegu has been resting comfortably. The wildlife center said it’s “rooting for a good outcome.”
Tegus are native to South America and are considered an invasive species in the southeastern United States. They can reach up to 5 feet in length. They eat fruits, eggs, insects and small animals including reptiles and rodents.
