Abandoned bearded dragon found freezing in roach-infested tank rescued by reptile loving family and given forever home full of crickets and mustard greens, dragon dad says: ‘I came home from work today and found the boy happily basking on his perch.’

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Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Apr 3, 2026 10:45 AM EDT

Just in the same way that the Cat Distribution System brings cats and their purrfect hoomans together. So does there seem to be a force connecting reptiles in need to hoomans who know how to feed (them).

It is quite the peculiar thing when you think about it. Reptile owners are far and few between, and for what was likely a domesticated lizard to end up showing up abandoned right in the vicinity of a reptile owner who could help it feels like a little more than just serendipity. It feels much like the Cat Distribution System, that there is a magical force working its mystical ways, making sure that no animal is left behind and that the hoomans who can help them remain close.

At least that is what happened to the lucky lizard in this story, who was found by the trash but who soon found itself surrounded by the lap of luxury. So whether there is a mystical system connecting hoomans and animals or not, we commend this hooman for his generous acts and wish the pair of them well on their life's journey together. 
 

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  • 01
    "He seems very well adjusted now, and even seems to recognize me when I come by. I hope we can be pals." FLUKER'S
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  • 02
    My neighbor found this poor guy outside near the trash cans in a filthy roach-infested tank and no food or water. It's been like 40° F all day. Rn im just trying to get him warmed up. Hes
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    a lil stinky and he seems VERY thirsty, so ive been periodically giving him water drops with a syringe. He seems to be in decent physical health, no broken
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    bones or obvious wounds or anything. He's just EXTREMELY lethargic. He takes water from the syringe if I touch it to his mouth, but doesn't move much otherwise, and doesn't open his eyes. He seems to
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    Cheezburger Image 10611947520
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    respond fairly normally to other stimuli tho. I'm not 100% sure what else to do. I know basic bearded dragon care, but I don't know any sort
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    of medical or emergency care. I do NOT have reputable reptile resources in my area, so what i can do for him would have to be at home, at least for this week. Advice would be nice. Thank you.
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  • Well, we have to say that it is miraculous that the universe managed to find a person who knows how to help reptiles that happened to live near enough to the poor abandoned lizard. Most people would likely struggle to identify the species of lizard this guy is, let alone know what to do with a dumped lizard who is not showing all too many signs of life. It is truly magical how the universe has this habit of putting us right where we are meant to be, right when we are meant to be there. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10611947776
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    Update on the fella that was found in the trash yesterday. First off, I want to thank everyone who offered advice. I took nearly all of it,
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    and have yet to try some. I'm so so happy yall stepped in to share because Cash seems to definitely be on the mend.
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    When I got home last night, I cobbled together a lil apartment for Cash. The biggest (clean) tank i have is a roughly 2×2 bowfront aquarium.
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    I lined the bottom with clean towels and used an old lamp box as a hide. I used some spare parts to assemble and dangle an old heat lamp on one side of the tank. I also gave him bowls of plain salad and water.
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    So this morning, when I woke up and turned his light back on, not only had he moved, but he ate the salad I gave him and was holding his head up and opened his eyes a couple times! I decided to
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  • Wow, would you look at this reptile rescuer go?! Setting up a whole enclosure for the abandoned dude, complete with cozy space, food and water?! That is some high level of care right there. This lizard truly lucked out, or perhaps it is a case of fate intervening and putting this lizard right where it was meant to be. Either way we could not be more pleased for the lizard and his new hooman. It looks like their journey is just beginning and it is only going to get a whole lot brighter from here on out. 

  • 15
    just leave him alone in the morning so as not to interrupt his progress. He won't take any water from the syringe anymore. Before he was practically sucking on it, so I'm assuming he's good
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    Cheezburger Image 10611946752
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    and hydrated again. He even moved his head away from me! Which is great because before, he wouldn't really react if i bugged him. It's good he's strong enough to move
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    himself to a more comfortable position. I changed out his towels and went to work. When I came back, he'd moved again to the cool side of his tank. Another good
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    sign! He also ate more greens. I'm gonna try some bugs tomorrow so he gets some protein and vitamins. Something tells me his previous owners likely didn't bother with finicky things like vitamin powder.
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  • 20
    I gave him a warm bath and got him cleaned up. He looks way less gray now and his pattern is so beautiful! I dried him off and put him in his freshly cleaned tank. I haven't noticed any pe or pp yet.
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    FLUKER'S AMP LAMP
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    I'll send out for supplies tomorrow. I scored a nice 90 gallon tank with spacious dimensions (I know it's small, but it's what I can afford right now, I'm sorry. Its got nice height to it, so im gonna try and get a few levels for him to move
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    around on). I'll also be grabbing bugs, more veggies, vitamin powder, lights of the correct spectrums and a proper heat lamp that I can actually adjust, quality substrate, temperature and humidity gages, and
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    some decor (hides, a few basking rocks, some things for him to climb up, and maybe something cute to jazz up the joint). Cash is having a nice nap now, but has opened his eyes several times and
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    FLUKER'S LAMP LAMP
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    reacted to noise. I honestly think he was so dehydrated, he had no lubrication to even blink. Poor guy. Also, I HATE to be this person, but I have some art for sale and it would be appreciated if I could get some help
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    with his supplies. At the end of the day, I'm getting him all he needs, but it's a large up front cost for me, and I'd still like to get him to a vet and have a fecal sample run. Either way, I'll continue to post updates on his journey. Cash is
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    gonna get the care needs regardless of anything and he's in a home that cares about him now. Cash and I are so grateful for the support from this community! I'll share his setup tomorrow!
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    5.5 FLUKER'S LAMP LAMB with dimmer
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    Cash is home! I came home from work today and found the boy happily basking on his perch. I scrambled together his enclosure at like midnight last night because I had an absolutely ridiculous
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  • 31
    evening rescuing ANOTHER animal (lost dog), but thankfully i got her home. As soon as I put him in the tank, he skittered around, full of curiosity. I don't think he's ever been outside the 20
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  • 32
    gallon I found him in, or ever climbed on anything. I think he even tried his pool today because there's dirt in it now. My cat is FASCINATED. I think she thinks he's a small ugly cat. She loves to sleep next to his tank and
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    watch him. At first I was chasing her away from him, but he seems not to mind, so ill leave them be. I locked his tank up so she can't mess with him and lined the top with tin foil to keep her from jumping up and sleeping near the
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    lamp. So Cash is now in a 48×24×18 enclosure with a basking perch and a cool burrow on each side, natural wood and rocks (cleaned), and some aloe plants for greenery. I'd like to get him more plants
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    this weekend. The colorful ladder and hammock are my daughter's lovely selection. She's 3 and insisted he have rainbows in his room too because everyone needs a rainbow in their room. So if you I don't have one in
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    your bedroom, my daughter insists you go get one, non- negotiable. I took the ladder out during the day to let him get used to his home. I'll put it in for him to find his hammock in a few days. I'm gonna add more height to his tank as well. The
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    Cheezburger Image 10611947008
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    empty back wall is making me nuts lol so I'm gonna make some more structures for him to climb. I may also get a larger heat lamp because it COULD be a little warmer in his tank, but if he continues to stay in good spirits, I think
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    I'll let it be. I also gave him some bugs to snack on this evening and he LOVES crickets, likes dubia roaches, and is kinda meh about mealworms. He also seems to like mustard greens a lot but not so
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    much collard greens. He's appearing MUCH more hydrated, and seems to have been eating and exploring his container throughout the day. My daughter and I fed him his bugs with chopsticks and helped him find his
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    food bowl. So far, so good. He seems very well adjusted now, and even seems to recognize me when I come by. I hope we can be pals.
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mustard reptile animal stories found freezing cricket abandoned reddit story cockroach tank bearded dragon family forever home rescued loving
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