Missing pet reptile returns home to Andergrove family

A 1.4m cuddle-loving Lace Monitor that went missing from his Qld owners sparking a community wide search has made his way home.

'Snuffy', Lace Monitor Lizard finds its way home after going missing

A “dog tamed” pet Lace Monitor who loves cuddling and went missing from his Andergrove family has miraculously found his way home.

Known as ‘Snuffy’, the reptile had been roaming on his own for about seven days leaving his owners worried for his welfare.

Owner David Astridge put out a concerned call on social media last week calling for anyone with information about his missing monitor, sparking a community wide search for the pet reptile.

Snuffy was last seen by a neighbour on January 26, who had assumed he was just a wild lizard climbing on a Wattle St fence about one kilometre from the Astridge’s property.

Then seven days later Mr Astridge again posting that a “miracle happened” and “Snuffy worked out how to find his way home”.

He was caught trying to dig under a neighbours fence to get back into Mr Astridge’s back yard last Sunday.

Snuffy the lace monitor lizard went missing from his Andergrove home in January 2025. He loves cuddling. Picture: Supplied

“The next door neighbours rushed over to our house and said ‘hey come look at this’,” he said.

“I don’t know what he got up to the other five days.

“I was out there everyday trying to find him.

“He was really happy to be back.”

Affectionately named Snuffy because of the sniffing noise he makes when he’s spoken to and described by his owners as “dog tamed”, the 1.4m lizard had been with the family for six years.

Mr Astridge, who had a reptile licence, said he hadn’t expected the community to be so concerned for the lost animal, and thanks everyone for keeping Snuffy in their minds.

“I was really surprised with the amount of people who were supporting it,” he said.

Snuffy is one of three pet Lace Monitors who have been raised by the Astridge family.

“He’s been a bit stressed out because of being away from home for so long,” Mr Astridge said.