10/26/2025
This is Scarlett. A few months ago we shared a post about Scarlett, but wanted to tell her story in full with you now that she is doing better.
Scarlett is an Argentine Red Tegu, one of the largest lizards in the Americas. She came in with three other tegus of different species/colors. You may have seen a few in a prior post of ours this summer, however Scarlett was not on that post for a few reasons.
Scarlett came in with her back left leg in really rough shape, which we immediately knew would likely need an intense procedure due to necrosis. This injury, and a few others, happened as a result of a past breeding attempt, where the male had bit her leg and other sections of her body (mind you, tegus have a bite force comparable to that of a large dog). In her first moments in the sanctuary, she was examined, had her nails trimmed, and was given a disinfectant bath to clear out her abrasions, which revealed maggots exiting her wounds.
We immediately contacted our list of vets to see what we could do for her to help alleviate her pain. Thanks to the outstanding service of Iowa Veterinary Specialties, Scarlett was put under anesthesia and had a successful amputation of her leg, as well as a general debridement of many parts of her body to remove stuck shed and necrotic material.
In the months after her procedure, we had an intense regimen of shots, creams, and pills, all while keeping an eye out for signs of septicemia and other potential issues. After months, an additional ultrasound was performed, resulting in the conclusion that follicles were NOT producing eggs (woot woot!).
After what felt like ages, Scarlett had a clean bill of health, but was still getting used to her remainder of a leg. We began looking into potential alternatives for her, going as far as getting in contact with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to get information regarding a past lizard prosthetic they had made for a Caiman Lizard, one of the closest relatives to true Tegus. It was ultimately decided after talking to these sources that the best course of action would be to continue with the remainder of the leg, rather than go through the prosthetic route.
In the end, Scarlett has been an absolute pleasure to work with through this journey. Even the vets say she is one of their favorite patients to see! Today, you can come meet Scarlett in person as she lives out the rest of her days at the sanctuary. In addition to her unique appearance, her personality makes her one of a kind and an excellent ambassador for her species. In fact, Scarlett has already stolen countless hearts since her debut on KCCI this September.
We truly can’t thank Dr. Ribbey and Iowa Veterinary Specialties enough for their expertise and time in making this story possible, and for giving Scarlett a second chance!
As much as we would love to say that making these stories possible is easy, we truly couldn’t do it without our community’s support. Whenever a product is bought from our storefront, an event is booked, or a donation is made, you are what make these stories possible. In one month alone, the sanctuary can incur bills of thousands of dollars to ensure these animals can live long happy lives, and it would not be feasible without you. Thank you all for your support and to those of you who donate or sponsor our animals!
If you would like to sponsor Scarlett, or any of our other ambassadors, follow this link:
https://www.spockssanctuary.org/ambassadors
