A Providence, Rhode Island, man made a shocking discovery while shoveling snow from his driveway after a massive winter storm dumped nearly 20 inches on the region. He found a large exotic tegu lizard, named Frankie, buried alive in the snow and barely moving, its black‑and‑white body rigid from the cold. In coverage from outlets like Fox News, he rushed the creature inside, wrapped it in T‑shirts and a heating pad, then contacted the New England Wildlife Center for help.
Tegus are South American natives popular as pets but invasive in places like Florida, where they can grow up to four feet long and require tropical heat. Vets at ET Reptiles in Warwick found Frankie extremely weak and underweight, with frostbite on her tongue and toes, and muscle damage from prolonged freezing—a death sentence for cold‑blooded reptiles. They amputated a small portion of her tongue and started intensive care with steroids and slow warming, and the center says she’s now resting comfortably but faces a critical week ahead.
It’s unclear if Frankie escaped an owner or was dumped, but officials are asking anyone with info to come forward since tegus are legal but high‑maintenance in Rhode Island. Rescuer Francis Hardy told local outlets he was shocked but saw it as a life worth saving, saying, “Even though it may seem insignificant as a lizard or what have you, it’s still a life.” The story went viral as “Lizard in a Blizzard,” reminding pet owners that exotic animals don’t survive northern winters without serious intervention
