It’s not every day you go out to shovel your driveway in Providence, Rhode Island, and find a tropical reptile staring back at you from a snowbank. But that’s exactly what sparked the winter’s hottest viral sensation. Meet "Frankie"—better known to the internet as "Blizzard the Lizard"—a four-foot-long Argentine black-and-white tegu found buried under nearly 20 inches of snow following the massive Rhode Island snowstorm of 2026. What started as a desperate animal rescue has snowballed into a global social media phenomenon, with the lizard's grumpy, thawed-out expression becoming the face of everyone’s winter blues.
The Miracle on the Driveway: Finding a 'Lizard-sicle'
The story began late last week in Providence, just as the region was digging out from a historic nor'easter. A local resident was clearing heavy snow from his driveway when he spotted an odd, scaly shape protruding from the white powder. To his shock, it wasn't a fallen branch or a lost toy, but a massive, freezing-cold lizard.
According to the New England Wildlife Center (NEWC), the finder acted quickly, scooping up the comatose reptile and rushing it indoors. "This is not something even the most snow-hardened New Englander would expect to find," a NEWC spokesperson stated. The animal was unresponsive, colloquially known as "cold-stunned," a state where a reptile's bodily functions shut down to preserve energy in freezing temperatures.
From Frostbite to Facebook Fame
Local experts at ET Reptiles in Warwick and the veterinary team at NEWC took over the lizard's care. The tegu, identified as a male named Frankie, was in critical condition. He was extremely weak, underweight, and suffering from frostbite on his toes and tongue. In a delicate procedure, vets had to amputate a small portion of his tongue, which had been damaged by the extreme cold.
The 'Thaw' Heard 'Round the World
It was the photo of the recovering reptile, wrapped snugly in a t-shirt and looking thoroughly unimpressed, that captivated the internet. As news of the rescue broke on January 30 and 31, social media users immediately dubbed the survivor "Blizzard". The nickname stuck instantly.
By Monday, February 2, the hashtag #LizardInABlizzard was trending nationally. Users overlaid text on the tegu's scowling face, captioning it with phrases like "Me waiting for my car to defrost" and "When the Zoom meeting could have been an email." The contrast between a tropical creature and a Rhode Island blizzard struck a chord with millions tired of the brutal 2026 winter.
Why Was a Tegu in a Snowbank?
While the memes are funny, the reality is stark. Tegus are native to South America and thrive in the warmth of Brazil and Paraguay, not the icy streets of New England. Experts believe "Blizzard" was likely an escaped or abandoned pet. In the wild, tegus are invasive species in warmer states like Florida, but in Rhode Island, a winter storm is a death sentence.
"Reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning they rely on their environment to regulate body temperature," explained a vet from the New England Wildlife Center. "When temperatures drop this low, their cells literally begin to fail." Frankie's survival is being hailed as practically miraculous, likely due to being buried under the snow, which may have insulated him slightly from the wind chill.
The Road to Recovery for 'Blizzard'
Despite his frosty ordeal and newfound fame, Frankie still has a long road ahead. He remains under close observation, receiving antibiotics and warm soaks to help his skin heal. The team at NEWC reports he is "resting comfortably and finally warm," which is the best news his new legion of fans could hope for.
As weird news stories go, the saga of the frozen iguana—or rather, tegu—has ended on a heartwarming note. He may have lost the tip of his tongue, but he gained the world's attention. For now, Blizzard the Lizard is safe, warm, and undoubtedly plotting his retirement to a climate where the only ice he encounters is in a drink.
