I found this snake in my garden… But when the vet saw it, he turned pale and shouted, “Call an ambulance immediately!”

I'd been tending my garden for years and was sure nothing could surprise me anymore. During that time, I'd dug rats out of the ground and chased away snakes. But one day, right next to the flowerbed, I noticed a strange creature curled up in the grass. At first, I thought it was an ordinary small snake. However, as I got closer, I was stunned: it had tiny front legs, like legs that had never fully formed. It looked so unusual that I knew something was wrong. I carefully placed the find in a jar and drove to the vet. At the clinic, the assistant, seeing the contents, quickly ushered me into the office. Dr. Allen soon appeared. He glanced at the creature, and his expression immediately changed. "We need to figure out what this is, urgently," he said anxiously. The doctor began scrutinizing the find under a bright lamp, then picked up a magnifying glass. The room grew quiet and tense. He asked questions: where did I find it, was there only one creature, how did it behave? I explained that I found it near some roses, half-buried in the ground. After a while, the doctor said, "They're often mistaken for snakes, but this isn't one."I looked at him in surprise."Snakes don't even have such small limbs. But legless lizards do."Gradually, everything became clearer. Assistant Sarah began searching the internet for images of similar reptiles. We compared photos, and the resemblance was striking. The doctor contacted a herpetologist he knew and sent him pictures of the find. All that remained was to wait for a response. When the phone rang, it became clear: this was a rare species of legless lizard, easily mistaken for a snake. The atmosphere in the office immediately changed. It was no longer a strange find, but a rare specimen of nature. Soon, specialists from a conservation organization arrived at the clinic. They confirmed the veterinarian's conclusion and decided to take the animal away to ensure its safety. As they left, they told me they would keep me updated. I returned home thinking about how an ordinary walk in the garden had turned into an unexpected story about caring and mindfulness for nature.