Rochester man offers $300 reward for missing Argentine lizard named Porkchop

Rebecca Mitchell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Aug. 8—ROCHESTER — Porkchop loves warm days. He is an Argentine black and white tegu, or 4-foot lizard, that is missing from his Rochester home.

The sunlight and humidity create a good summer in his enclosure. But it's people such as kids and house visitors who make Porkchop particularly excited, owner Cody Whitehead said. Whitehead is asking people to share any sightings of Porkchop in the Silver Lake Park area. He is also offering a $300 reward.

Porkchop first crawled into Whitehead's life in California about nine years ago when a local animal control agency posted about the reptile found in the desert. He was "severely overweight" at about 40 pounds.

"We used to call him Porkchop because he was just like so big and porky and massive, and so big for his little frame. We looked at him and we're like, 'You're just a little porkchop,' and the name stuck," Whitehead said with a laugh. "It's a friendly name, he's a friendly guy."

With his backyard enclosure and indoor experiences, Whitehead said he's "very good at adapting to any surroundings." Porkchop hibernates indoors for about one month during the winter.

Whitehead also has a second Argentine black and white tegu, in addition to a dog and a cat. He describes Porkchop as "very dog-like," including laying on people's feet, greeting visitors and laying on the dog's bed.

"He will literally crawl onto the bed with the cat, and they'll curl up together," Whitehead said.

While Whitehead said, "I'm not too sure where he could be," he wonders about hiding places at Silver Lake Park and Quarry Hill Nature Center. Porkchop has lived in his enclosure for two years. The enclosure was locked and there were no holes in the area.

Whitehead said he was "kind of shocked" to find Porkchop missing on Friday, Aug. 4. The reward also encourages people to return him, even if he was taken, Whitehead said.

As an omnivore, Porkchop eats fruits, vegetables and small animals, though, his favorite food is bananas.

"They don't have to eat every day. They eat every like two or three days, and so if we have gloomy weather he might just go hide underneath someone's porch and sleep there until like a warmer day like today," Whitehead said on Tuesday. "Like how the last few days were rainy and gloomy, he may not even come out at all those days, he might have just waited for better weather."

If people see Porkchop, they can contact Cody Whitehead on Facebook Messenger or at 951-235-9215. People can also call Animal Control at 507-328-6800.