Lizard walks on wall with tail sparking fire, captivating viewers and igniting Pokémon-inspired online reactions.
A strange internet video has left netizens shocked and entertained, with many interrogating, "Is that a Charmander in real life?"
The video, which is said to be captured in Cambodia, features a lizard moving on a wall as its tail seems to catch fire from time to time, emitting sparks and tiny flames, just like the Pokémon character's blazing tail.
The recently-viral video, posted on Instagram, went viral. While the location and date are uncertain, the caption reports: "A man was roaming around his backyard in Cambodia when he saw something completely insane. He spotted a gecko, but it wasn't typical. He watched intently as the tail of the gecko inexplicably lit up with a small flame and produced real fire…like a matchstick being ignited."
The post further stated, "In the video, you can clearly see the tail catch fire, burning for a few seconds before fading away. The man had never seen anything like it in his life."
The user even asked a question to viewers: "What do you think? What type of gecko lizard does that? Is it a rare natural mutation… or something otherworldly?"
The clip has garnered more than 16 million views and elicited an onslaught of witty responses from internet users. Charmander GIFs and memes flooded the comment section, with one user sarcastically remarking, "Charmander, is that you?" Another joked, "Bro discovered a Charmander and didn't even catch him."
Another user considered the generational reaction to unusual occurrences, commenting, "I love our generation, we witness something astonishing and rather than marvel at the inexplicable world we live in, our first reaction is to make a reference to it with Pokémon."
Aside from Pokémon jokes, some of the commenters attempted to offer scientific explanations. One cited the Turniptail Lightbulb-Lizard (Riama cashcaensis), a burrowing lizard native to Ecuador, which has its tail illuminated: "Although the mechanism for tail illumination is still being researched, it's believed to be due to the presence of a substance within the tail that emits light when exposed or degrades."
Another asserted: "There's this really rare species of lizards that are nearly extinct, which emit flammable sparks at the tip of their tails when they're wiggled as a result of micro fibre frictions generated in their tails. This was the initial inspiration for the hit 'Charmander' character of the hit series 'Pokémon'."
One doubtful user provided a more suitable explanation, stating: "Plot twist: Sunlight Reflected by Lizard's Tail. What you saw was a natural light reflection or refraction caused by sunlight hitting the lizard's tail at just the right angle."
Whatever the true reason, flaming-tailed lizard has gone viral, making people curious and amused.
