This is ‘lizard in a blizzard’ - Meet the reptile that was rescued after being buried in an East Coast snowstorm

A Providence, Rhode Island resident made a truly odd discovery while shoveling his driveway last week. Under 20 inches of snow a large black and white lizard, which has been identified as a tegu, tried to slowly crawl out.

The man didn’t think twice and sprang into action to help the creature that was clearly out of its element in the frigid cold. He immediately brought it inside to warm it up and wrapped the reptile in a T-shirt so it could conserve heat. He then contacted the co-owners of ET Reptile Shop, Taylor and Emily, who responded right away, explained the New England Wildlife Center in an Instagram post.

The man credited with saving Frankie, as the lizard has been named in his honor, told WPRI’s 12 News that some of people he shared his discovery with warned him to be extremely careful with the lizard telling him it was dangerous. “Everybody’s telling me, ‘Oh watch out it’ll tear off your arm!’ ‘It’s vicious!’ this that and the other,” he told Barbara Ron from the outlet.

However, when Taylor and Emily arrived, they had no such fears as the good Samaritan recounted. He went downstairs to greet them and “she goes and grabs the [lizard] like it was her baby,” he said. “When I see the way she grabbed him, and was cuddling him, I said, ‘This thing is not tearing off anybody’s arm.’”

Frankie, the ‘lizard in a blizzard’ is recovering after treatment for exposure to freezing cold

Frankie was delivered to the New England Wildlife Center where the ‘lizard in a blizzard’, as he’s been dubbed by the media, was tended to by doctors Mertz and Gannaway. They found the lizard to be “extremely weak, underweight, and not moving well,” having had “suffered frostbite to his tongue and showed signs of significant muscle weakness after prolonged exposure to the cold,” the wildlife center shared.

The medical team had to amputate a small portion of Frankie’s tongue that was too damaged. They also provided supportive care to treat “inflammation and generalized weakness.” Fortunately, Frankie is “now resting comfortably and finally warm, which makes all the difference,” noted the wildlife center.

What was a tegu doing in the snow in Rhode Island?

Tegus are native to South America and they can grow to over 4 feet in length and weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. They have become a popular species of reptile to keep as pets. However, tegus have become an invasive species in parts of Florida, where they are now illegal to own

On the other hand, they are legal to own in Rhode Island says ET Reptiles. But they cannot survive outdoors in the winter elements present in New England the shop owners told 12 News.

In the case of Frankie, it is unknown who his owner is and whether his wintertime adventure was a case of him escaping. “If it was a mistake and Frankie did escape, please contact us; we’ll work with you to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Taylor Faria of ET Reptiles told 12 News.

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