Exotic African lizard found inside trash in Pennsylvania
Abandoned Exotic Lizard Finds New Home and Name
A Savannah monitor named Oscar was abandoned in a trash can in Carlisle Township, Pennsylvania, earlier this month and has since found a new home with the Venom Institute in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. The lizard was reportedly found by a delivery driver before being taken to Speranza Animal Rescue in Cumberland County, where it was temporarily named “Monster”. Speranza Animal Rescue admitted in a Facebook post that the organisation did not have any volunteers experienced with lizards. The Venom Institute is a non-profit reptile and amphibian conservation group in Coal Township, Pennsylvania, and will make Oscar an educational ambassador once he completes a 30-day quarantine.
FAQs section:
What is a Savannah monitor?
– A Savannah monitor is a species of lizard that is native to West and Central parts of Africa, south of the Sahara.
What is the Venom Institute?
– The Venom Institute is a non-profit reptile and amphibian conservation group located in Coal Township, Pennsylvania.
How long can Savannah monitors live in captivity?
– Savannah monitors can live 15 to 20 years in captivity with excellent care and husbandry.
What is Oscar’s primary diet?
– Oscar’s primary diet is insects, but occasionally, they will supplement their diet with meat.
What will happen to Oscar once he completes his quarantine?
– Once Oscar completes his quarantine, he will become an educational ambassador for the outreach education division of the Venom Institute.
A rare African lizard discovered among garbage in Pennsylvania.
An exotic lizard was abandoned inside a trash can on the side of a Pennsylvania road earlier this month, but now he has found a new home and a name. Oscar, the Savannah monitor, was discovered by a delivery driver in Carlisle Township before being brought to Speranza Animal Rescue in Cumberland County. However, the rehabilitation center admitted that none of its volunteer staff members were experienced with lizards, so they looked for a rescue to take Oscar in. The abandoned mystery lizard was temporarily named “Monster,” but that changed when he was placed with the Venom Institute, a nonprofit reptile and amphibian conservation group based in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. According to Rudy Arceo, founder and president of the Venom Institute, Oscar the Savannah Monitor Varanus exanthematicus, was in good condition when he arrived at the Institute. Oscar’s length at present is somewhere between 18 and 24 inches, Arceo added. Once out of the 30-day quarantine, Oscar will become an educational ambassador for the Venom Institute’s outreach education division.