WHEN they say eat your greens, they are probably talking about leaves, not lizards.
However, an Iberian wall lizard narrowly escaped the cooking pot after being discovered in a packet of broccoli at a Scottish supermarket.
The reptile, native to Spain and Portugal, was spotted by a shop worker in Lanarkshire under the cellophane wrap. He has now been named Brock by the Scottish SPCA, which took him in, and has found a new home at the Scottish Exotic Animal Rescue centre.
Chief Inspector Fiona Henderson said: “The poor wee guy was dehydrated but otherwise unharmed from his adventures. As he’s not a native reptile, Brock couldn’t be rehomed like our normal rescues.
“In this case, he’s gone to live in a multi-habitat vivarium at the Scottish Exotic Animal Rescue centre with reptile expert Nick Martin.
“The vivarium is designed to mimic Brock’s habitat as closely as possible and it seems he’s settled in perfectly well despite his broccoli ordeal.”
With a lifespan of around four years, the species, which feeds on insects, is normally found on cliffs, walls and rocks at altitudes of up to 2500m. An average example measures between 5-7cm from snout to vent, with a tail twice as long as the body.
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