In the quiet hush of winter, when snow blankets the world in white and the sharp edges of sound seem softened, a hidden life can surprise us in the most unexpected way. On a frigid morning in Providence, Rhode Island, where the recent storm left yards caked in nearly two feet of snow, one man’s shovel struck something that was not snow at all but the slow, tentative shape of a large reptile. For a moment, it seemed as if winter had uncovered a secret — something misplaced in its frozen cradle, moving almost as a whisper beneath the still surface.
The creature was a tegu lizard, a sun-loving reptile native to parts of Central and South America, far from the icy streets of New England. Buried beneath nearly 20 inches of snow, the lizard — later named “Frankie” — was found by the homeowner struggling to emerge from its snowy tomb. Wrapped in a T-shirt and brought indoors to warm up, Frankie’s discovery became a gentle reminder of how delicate life can be when it meets an unfamiliar season.
Tegus, being cold-blooded, depend on environmental warmth to regulate their body functions. Without heat, their metabolism slows, circulation falters, and cells begin to fail — a slow receding of life that human hands often intervene to prevent. When Frankie reached the care of ET Reptiles, a local specialist facility in Rhode Island, veterinarians found the tegu “extremely weak, underweight, and not moving well.” The prolonged exposure had caused frostbite to the lizard’s tongue and significant muscle weakness, underscoring how perilous cold weather can be for species far outside their natural habitat.
At the animal hospital in Massachusetts, part of the nonviable frostbitten tissue on Frankie’s tongue was carefully removed, and the lizard was administered supportive treatments, including antibiotics and steroids to help reduce inflammation and strengthen muscle response. Though still fragile, Frankie showed signs of recovery — a testament to both the resilience of life and the attentive care of those who work with exotic animals.
The origins of the lizard in Providence remain a small mystery. Wildlife officials and rescuers could not say whether Frankie had escaped from a nearby home or been released intentionally into the wild. In New England’s harsh winter, such a reptile has little chance of survival without human intervention; yet, here it was, a creature of warmth unearthed from a place of cold, reminding those who found it of the unexpected intersections between human environments and the animal world.
In the coming days, the New England Wildlife Center and ET Reptiles will continue to monitor Frankie’s condition, offering care and comfort while seeking any information about where the tegu may have come from. For now, though, the lizard rests in warmth, another small life brought back toward stability by chance and kindness.
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Sources Associated Press, People, CT Post / News Times, CBS Boston, Fox News.