SCIENTISTS in the south-eastern USA believe they have made a breakthrough after releasing the details of what is claimed to be the world's most constipated animal.
The history-making curly-tailed lizard was captured by the University of Florida's Natalie Claunch, a PhD student in the School of Natural Resources and Environment, in the hopes it was about to lay eggs.
"But when we went to feel for eggs, it just felt like it was full of silly putty," she said.
A subsequent CT scan (pictured) found the reptile had a "massive fecal bolus" which comprised almost 80% of its total body mass.
In fact there was only a tiny space left over in the animal's ribcage for its heart, lungs and lizard, with the massive blockage caused after it feasted on insects and then gobbled down some greasy leftover pizza, along with an unhealthy dose of ingested sand which ultimately became completely indigestible.
Despite its fat stomach the reptile was in fact starving because of lack of nutrients, and was humanely euthanised.
Curly-tailed lizards are considered an invasive species, with the intriguing case of extreme impaction published in the Herpetological Review.
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