Man Discovers Exotic Lizard in Rhode Island Driveway as Snow Melt Reveals Hidden Tenant.
In a bizarre turn of events, a Providence man stumbled upon an exotic lizard buried under nearly two feet of snow on his driveway. The large tegu, native to South America, was found trying to crawl its way out of the snowy landscape, leaving residents scratching their heads about how it ended up there in the first place.
According to veterinarians at New England Wildlife Center's exotic animal clinic, the lizard was extremely weak, underweight, and showing signs of frostbite due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. The clinic explained that reptiles are cold-blooded creatures, relying on their environment to regulate body temperature, which made them particularly vulnerable to tissue damage and muscle injury caused by inadequate circulation and energy at low temperatures.
The tegu was later retrieved by ET Reptiles in Warwick, a team of experts who specialize in caring for exotic animals. After receiving treatment, the lizard began to show signs of improvement, resting comfortably and warming up. The clinic expressed gratitude for the timely intervention, saying that it made all the difference in the lizards' recovery.
The discovery has left many wondering how this particular tegu ended up on the streets of Providence, with officials urging anyone with information to come forward. Native to South America, tegus are considered invasive species in parts of the U.S., such as Florida and Georgia, due to ecological concerns and increased aggression as they mature.
As the investigation unfolds, it remains unclear whether this tegu escaped or was intentionally released into the wild. The New England Wildlife Center has promised to share updates on the lizard's condition and is urging the public to keep an eye out for any more exotic sightings in the area.
In a bizarre turn of events, a Providence man stumbled upon an exotic lizard buried under nearly two feet of snow on his driveway. The large tegu, native to South America, was found trying to crawl its way out of the snowy landscape, leaving residents scratching their heads about how it ended up there in the first place.
According to veterinarians at New England Wildlife Center's exotic animal clinic, the lizard was extremely weak, underweight, and showing signs of frostbite due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. The clinic explained that reptiles are cold-blooded creatures, relying on their environment to regulate body temperature, which made them particularly vulnerable to tissue damage and muscle injury caused by inadequate circulation and energy at low temperatures.
The tegu was later retrieved by ET Reptiles in Warwick, a team of experts who specialize in caring for exotic animals. After receiving treatment, the lizard began to show signs of improvement, resting comfortably and warming up. The clinic expressed gratitude for the timely intervention, saying that it made all the difference in the lizards' recovery.
The discovery has left many wondering how this particular tegu ended up on the streets of Providence, with officials urging anyone with information to come forward. Native to South America, tegus are considered invasive species in parts of the U.S., such as Florida and Georgia, due to ecological concerns and increased aggression as they mature.
As the investigation unfolds, it remains unclear whether this tegu escaped or was intentionally released into the wild. The New England Wildlife Center has promised to share updates on the lizard's condition and is urging the public to keep an eye out for any more exotic sightings in the area.
that poor thing was literally freezing its tail off! i mean, who leaves a wild animal out there to die? i'm so worried about the tegu now it's being cared for by the reptile rescue team but still no idea how it got here in the first place... maybe they should check with local pet stores or something 
and btw if anyone has any info on the lizard's past, pls come forward so we can prevent this from happening again 
. I mean, who lets a lizard just roam free in RI? It's not exactly a welcoming place for exotic pets. And now we're dealing with frostbite and possible damage to the ecosystem... 
I mean, can you believe it? This poor lizard just chillin' under a couple of feet of snow in Rhode Island! 
It's crazy to think how this little guy ended up here, especially considering native tegus are considered invasive species in other parts of the US. Maybe someone intentionally let him go or maybe he was part of some exotic pet mix-up gone wrong? 
I'd love to know more about his story and how he got there! The fact that he was so weak and underweight is just heartbreaking, so glad the experts were able to step in and help him out. Fingers crossed for this little guy's recovery and hoping we can learn from this incident to prevent similar situations in the future 
this is wild...
like who lets a wild animal into their yard?! 
The poor thing was all weak and frostbite-y, bless its heart 
. I mean I get it, it's exotic and cool, but seriously? Shouldn't we be more careful with our pets...I mean animals 
. And what's up with these invasive species laws anyway? 
! I mean, I know reptiles are cold-blooded and all that jazz, but still... it's like, what were its owners thinking?! 
Did someone release it as a pet and forget about it? Or did it escape from some exotic pet store? This is just too wild for me 
!
Like, for real though, reptiles can't handle cold temps so well, that's pretty wild. Glad the clinic was able to help it out tho! 
I mean, we gotta take care of our own wildlife and not mess with other animals' habitats. And what about the poor thing that got found? Poor little guy was shiverin' in the snow... hope it recovers soon! 
anyway i hope the little guy gets better soon and is back to his scaly self, maybe even get some adoption going on? 
!
and have you seen those vids of tegus taking over florida? it's like they're planning to take over new england too!