Florida Lizard found in suitcase in northern seaside town
The stowaway travelled 4,500 miles from its home
A stowaway lizard made an incredible 4,500-mile journey from the sunshine state of Florida to the more chilly English seaside town of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside - in a holidaymaker’s suitcase!
The green anole lizard, a harmless tree-dwelling reptile native to America, was found last Thursday (25 Nov) after Rachel Bond unpacked her case at her home in Helena Avenue - following a holiday to Orlando.
Rachel’s elderly mum Margaret Crossland (84) spotted the reptile scuttling through the house.
Rachel, (54) said: “I had started to unpack my things then I came downstairs and my mum shouted to me ‘there is a lizard on my bedroom door’.
“I wasn’t sure if it was her age that had caught up with her but when I went upstairs she was adamant that she had seen the reptile go into her room.
“We had a good look around and then we found it under the pillow on her bed. I think she was very relieved she didn’t wake up in the night with it on her face - that would have been quite a shocker!
“It is quite remarkable that the lizard managed to travel all that way unharmed - but I do feel sorry for him after enjoying such nice warm weather he ended up in Whitley Bay in winter.”
Rachel confined the reptile and was quite attached to it so thought about keeping it as a pet but realising that they have specialist needs she contacted the RSPCA who collected the stowaway.
Animal rescuer, Inspector Lucy Green said the lizard needed warming up but he is doing well in the care of a reptile expert
Inspector Lucy said: “It is amazing to think he has survived such an incredible journey. He is certainly a very lucky lizard.
“He is feeding well and definitely more lively now as he is no longer cold”
The RSPCA receives calls every year from members of the public who have found spiders, lizards or scorpions - often when the animal has stowed away in a suitcase on holiday or in a delivery of fruit from abroad.
The charity has said that they 'would like to remind holidaymakers to always give their cases an extra thorough check before heading home just in case they too pick up a surprising stowaway'.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that accidentally imported animals would be returned to their native environments, therefore these animals are rehomed to specialist keepers, zoos or wildlife parks who have the necessary knowledge and facilities to care for them properly.