Surprise as desert lizard found wandering in a British park

A lizard has been taken in by animal welfare officers after it was found wandering around a park in Surrey.

A spiny-tailed lizard found in a park in Surrey has been taken in by the RSPCA. Image by (RSPCA/Community Newswire)

Uromastyx, also known as a spiny-tailed lizard, dabb lizard or uro, is a type of lizard normally native to arid desert regions but RSPCA officers were called out after one was spotted in Blagdon Park in New Malden.

The RSPCA said it is experiencing a rise in the number of exotic animals coming in to its care, with 1,853 reptiles collected in 2014.

RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Anthony Pulfer said: “It was a real surprise to find the caller had found a uromastyx lizard as these animals aren’t one of the more common lizards kept as pets.

“Uromastyx come from very warm and dry areas in the wild and therefore need to be kept in a warm and dry environment as appropriate for the particular species if kept in captivity, so the fact this lizard was in a damp and cold park is very worrying. Luckily it’s doing very well.

“Sadly the RSPCA is experiencing widespread neglect and abandonment of reptiles as for many people an exotic animal represents too much of a commitment.

“We would encourage people who are thinking about taking on an exotic pet to research the needs of the species thoroughly and ensure they can meet them at all times.

“Caring for a reptile can be difficult and expensive; the animal may grow very large, live for a long time, become aggressive or require a licence or paperwork to be legally kept or sold.”

(Press Association)