The cold-blooded girl desperately needed help.
When you’re clearing snow from your driveway, you usually expect to find nothing but layers of ice and slush beneath your shovel.
But one Providence, Rhode Island, resident got the shock of a lifetime after digging through nearly 20 inches of snow and uncovering something completely unexpected — a massive black-and-white reptile.
The animal turned out to be a tegu, a large species of lizard native to Central and South America. While it’s legal to keep tegus as pets in Rhode Island, experts warn that these cold-blooded animals cannot survive freezing temperatures and should always be kept indoors during winter.
Thankfully, the homeowner didn’t panic and acted quickly.
According to the New England Wildlife Center, the resident calmly brought the lizard inside, wrapped her gently in a T-shirt, and tried to keep her warm until professional help arrived.
Soon after, specialists from ET Reptiles were contacted and sent team members to assist. The tegu was then transported to veterinarians at the New England Wildlife Center for urgent care.
The examination revealed just how close she had come to disaster. The lizard was severely underweight, extremely weak, and had suffered frostbite on her tongue after being exposed to the cold for too long. She also showed signs of serious muscle damage.
Veterinary staff immediately stepped in, performing surgery to treat the damaged tissue and carefully monitoring her condition until her vital signs stabilized.
Now, the tegu — who has been named Frankie — is finally safe, warm, and resting comfortably.
Although rescuers still don’t know where Frankie came from or how she ended up trapped beneath the snow, they are asking anyone with information to contact New England Wildlife Center or ET Reptiles.
What they do know is that Frankie has a long road to recovery ahead — and a team fully committed to helping her heal.
“Recovery will take time, patience, and plenty of care,” ET Reptiles shared. “But Frankie is already showing incredible strength. Stories like hers remind us how deeply reptiles depend on humans for survival — and how powerful compassion can be.” 🦎❄️