One day, Reddit user KSFL — a man named Tommy — was strolling through the atrium of his home in Jacksonville, Florida, when he noticed something odd about his monstera plant.
A new leaf had sprouted up. But something about it was different than the rest. Tommy stepped closer to have a better look.
Then he noticed a little head. “I had to do a double take to make sure I was seeing it,” Tommy said. “I have no idea how he found his way into the atrium of my old home.”
Tommy eventually identified the animal as a green anole, a tree-dwelling lizard native to this part of the United States.
Tommy snapped some photos of the anole, who’d made himself quite comfortable in the leaf. When Tommy posted a couple pictures to Reddit, he got a surprising number of comments.
“He looks so cozy in there,” one Reddit user said. “Little burrito.”
“There’s no higher praise than [an] animal thinking your plant is sufficiently healthy and well kept to be home,” said another.
“This is by FAR my favorite thing I have ever seen on the internet,” said a commenter.
Tommy said he suspected other Reddit users would like the photos, but that he didn’t expect such a large response.
The lizard stayed in the leaf for a couple of days. Eventually, Tommy caught the lizard in an empty trash can so he could safely transfer him outside.
“I let him out since he can’t survive in [the house],” Tommy said. Tommy never saw the anole again, which is a good thing if you’re a wild animal who belongs in the wild instead of a house. By letting him out, Tommy had essentially saved the lizard’s life.
“He’s long gone, living his life!” Tommy said.