Holidaymakers are used to putting their suitcases on the scales when flying abroad.
But for one Aberdeen family, the scales were in the case after a lizard managed to sneak inside their luggage before they flew back home from Florida.
Souixsie Mackenzie and her family had enjoyed the trip of a lifetime and were just settling back into normal life in their Ferryhill home when they made the discovery.
She said: “”I recently got back from Florida with my partner and eight year old daughter so the lizard must have jumped in one of our suitcases as we were packing.
“I was emptying the cases and preparing to do a washing when I spotted him sitting on the bathroom floor.
“He is quite cute looking and didn’t scare us. My daughter was even quite keen for us to keep him but we understand this isn’t possible as he is a wild animal and we are glad he has found a home with someone who knows how to look after him.”
The brown anole (cor) lizard, is around 1.5ins in length, and has been nicknamed Flo Rida.
It is now in the care of the SSPCA’s Aberdeenshire rehoming centre in Drumoak.
The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas but has been widely introduced elsewhere as a pet, and can be found in the southern states of the US.
They largely feed on insects such as crickets, moths and grasshoppers, but have also been known to eat other lizards.
And, ever the wanderer, Flo Rida is about to make the journey up north to the Scottish Exotic Animal Rescue centre, run by Nick Martin, on the outskirts of Inverness.
Kyle McWhirr, animal care assistant at the Scottish SPCA’s rescue centre in Drumoak, added: “We’re very pleased Nick has offered him a new home as we know he has the knowledge and experience to provide Flo Rida with proper care and a suitable environment.”