A NEW home has been found for an iguana that was left behind at a High Wycombe petrol station last week.

The female reptile will be setting up home permanently at a specialist reptile facility.

Staff of Esso garage in New Road, Booker, discovered the iguana in a box on Sunday evening.

A customer entered the garage and asked if he could leave a box inside while he fixed his car on the forecourt.

But he the drove off leaving the box behind, which staff later discovered contained the iguana.

RSPCA staff collected the animal, which was found to have serious burns to its skin.

Animal collection officer Dennis Lovell said improper heating often caused such burns.

He said: “Burns of this type are usually caused by improper housing, when owners, often due to ignorance, use bare, unguarded light bulbs to heat vivariums.

“Reptiles, attempting to keep warm, then get too close to the bulbs and burn their skin.”

ACO Lovell added: “We do find that people take on exotic animals like reptiles without researching their needs or having any idea of how to care for it properly.

“They then end up injured, sick or even dead just because their owners either didn't have the money or knowledge about how to care for them.”

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.