AN ANIMAL welfare charity has attacked a "despicable" person who dumped a lizard in a Hampshire town.

The RSPCA is investigating after the bearded dragon was found abandoned in a bag in Albert Street, Gosport.

Animal collection officer Jenny Preston collected the animal, which had been put in a box and taken home after it was discovered.

She said: "This poor beardie wouldn't have survived long outside in the cold and wet weather we've been having recently.

"Beardies are reptiles who need specific temperatures to be able to function normally and, in captivity, rely entirely on their owners to provide these conditions, which must be the same as they live in in the wild.

"Abandoning any animal to fend for themselves is shocking but to dump those who require such specific conditions to survive is despicable."

Bearded dragons are one of the most common reptiles being collected by RSPCA investigators along with corn snakes, terrapins, tortoises, leopard geckos and royal pythons.

RSPCA exotics senior scientific officer, Nicola White, said: “The number of calls the RSPCA received about reptiles rose 104% over a 10-year period and sadly we are regularly being called to collect reptiles, like this bearded dragon, that have been dumped like rubbish, or neglected, presumably because owners no longer want them or cannot care for them properly.

“Reptiles are widely being sold in pet shops and it is sadly often the case that they are handed over to buyers, who may be new to keeping that species, with little to no information about how to care for them, or the commitment that is involved in keeping them healthy.

"A lot people don’t realise that bearded dragons can live for up to 12 years in captivity, which is a long-term commitment for an owner."

Anyone who knows where the bearded dragon came from before it was found on February 12 is asked to contact the inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018.