FROZEN STIFF: Bad enough to be a human being in Bradford in the
winter. How’d you like to be a lizard?

Consider this: Clay Pledger of Bradford has an exotic pet, a
bearded dragon from Australia, which lived in an enclosed space for
the first bit of his life while he was still quite tiny. (He now
measures maybe a foot and a half from nose to the tip of his
tail.)

For the past few years, however, Clay’s pet has been allowed to
roam his apartment at will.

A bearded dragon may eat his fill and then “sleep” for a week or
more at a time, so it was not unusual when he disappeared from
sight a couple weeks ago. As the really cold weather started to set
in, however, Clay decided to seek out the cold-blooded critter to
be on the safe side.

When he located his scaly sidekick, the dragon was literally
frozen stiff in a cold, dark corner of the floor.

Ice could be seen sealing the animal’s mouth and eyes shut, and
he did not seem to be breathing. His entire body glistened with ice
and his tail was hardened like wood.

His “beard,” a small bone that erects an otherwise flaccid flap
of skin under his chin, was frozen back and could not be pulled
forward.

As Clay tearfully inspected the dragon -ða buddy he had kept for
nearly 10 years -ðthe animal warmed up just enough to allow one
claw to twitch slightly.

Clay hurriedly held him over the gas heater in the living room
and, lo and behold, the dragon started to “thaw.” Slowly, and
seemingly painfully, the little lizard started to come back to
life, fighting to take breaths and hold his head up.

Currently the creature is recuperating in a heated box in the
living room, and his owners are hoping for the best. He hasn’t
eaten yet, but his color is almost back to normal and he is
breathing regularly.

As he progresses, we’ll keep you informed.