Bearded Dragon Found On the Loose In Beverly

BEVERLY, MA — A dragon was on the loose in Beverly Wednesday morning.

No, the city did not suddenly turn into one of the seven kingdoms from "Game of Thrones" — it was actually a bearded dragon, a common pet lizard, that was found in the area of Pratt Avenue and Essex Street that is now in the custody of Beverly Animal Control.

Bearded dragons are lizards that get their name from a "beard" of spikes under their chins and tiny reptilian scales that mirror the mythical flying, fire-breathing dragons.

Beverly Animal Control Officer Matt Lipinski told Patch early Wednesday afternoon that, while rare, it is not the first time they have come across a creature beyond the common lost dog or cat. About a month ago he recovered a lost pet snake, and there was a hamster found on Bridge Street a few years back.

"Not common to find a bearded dragon," he said. "More times than not people had it out in their backyard to get some sun and it just got away."

Anyone in the area who is missing their little Targaryen friend, or knows of someone who might be, is asked to call Beverly Animal Control at 978-605-2361.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)