A chameleon has died after being dumped in a garden in sub-zero temperatures.
The RSPCA said the reptile was put to sleep after being discovered in a bin bag of garden waste on St Helen's Crescent in Hastings, East Sussex.
Inspector Zoe Ballard criticised the veiled chameleon's "callous" owners, adding: “Like many other reptiles, chameleons cannot regulate their own body temperature so rely on the environment they are in to keep at the correct body temperature.
“They are also very susceptible to infection and they are more at risk when placed into a dank environment.
"This poor chameleon was left outside in freezing temperatures and callously dumped an left for dead in plastic bag."
She added: “It is upsetting that this poor chameleon was so ill there was nothing that could be done for him.”
An RSPCA spokeswoman said the number of calls inspectors received concerning exotic animals was up nearly 40 per cent on ten years ago.
In 2015, officials handled some 5,000 calls in England and Wales.
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