Exotic Lizard Survives 20 Inches of Snow in Rhode Island

When a Providence, Rhode Island man went outside to clear snow after last week's blizzard, he never expected to find a two-foot-long lizard slowly trying to crawl out from under 20 inches of powder.

The black-and-white tegu lizard, now named "Frankie," was alive but in serious trouble. As a cold-blooded reptile native to the warm climates of South America, the animal should never have been outside in a New England winter.

The man immediately wrapped Frankie in a T-shirt and brought him inside to warm up. He then contacted local reptile experts for help, setting off a rescue mission that would save the lizard's life.

Co-owners from ET Reptiles, a nearby Warwick store, responded right away. They picked up Frankie and rushed him to the New England Wildlife Center for emergency care.

Veterinarians found Frankie extremely weak, underweight, and barely able to move. The lizard had frostbite on his tongue and significant muscle weakness from being exposed to freezing temperatures for so long.

The wildlife center's team quickly got to work. They amputated a small portion of damaged tissue from Frankie's tongue and gave him steroids to reduce inflammation and help rebuild his strength.

Sunny's Take

Stories like Frankie's remind us that compassion shows up in unexpected moments. The man clearing his driveway could have ignored what looked like debris in the snow, but he stopped to investigate. ET Reptiles dropped everything to help an animal in crisis. The New England Wildlife Center team worked around the clock to give Frankie a second chance.

It's still unclear how Frankie ended up buried in the snow. While tegus are legal pets in Rhode Island, they absolutely cannot survive outside in winter conditions. The wildlife center doesn't know if Frankie escaped accidentally or was abandoned.

What matters now is that Frankie is finally warm, resting comfortably, and getting stronger each day. The rescue team is monitoring his progress closely and sharing updates as he continues to recover.

Animal control hasn't received any reports of a missing tegu. If anyone recognizes Frankie or knows where he came from, the New England Wildlife Center and ET Reptiles are asking them to come forward.

For now, this lucky lizard is exactly where he needs to be.