An iguana nicknamed Eddie Lizard has been rehoused after being abandoned on a freezing day.

The lizard, named after the comedian Eddie Izzard, has been rehomed in Brighton after being found in a plastic box outside a home in the middle of winter.

The animal, which needs to be kept warm to survive, was found outside where the temperature was around three degrees Celsius.

Jade Guthrie, animal welfare officer for the RSPCA, said: “This beautiful reptile is incredibly lucky to be alive.

“Iguanas are endothermic which means they need warmth to survive, so when they are kept in this country they require a heat lamp,” she explained.

“Being dumped in the cold in a box with just a blanket is totally unacceptable – had he not been found he would have been at death’s door before long.”

The iguana, found in Chiswick in London, has been re-housed in Brighton at the charity’s only dedicated reptile rescue centre in the country.

The RSPCA say that is very difficult to rehome iguanas particularly as they can live for up to 15 years and grow to around 5ft long.

RSPCA Brighton currently has 10 other iguanas looking for homes, all of which were abandoned, unwanted or neglected.