30-07-2025
On Cam: ‘Pokémon' Lizard With Flaming Tail In Cambodia. Internet Asks, ‘Charmander, Is That You?'
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While many on the Internet reacted to the video, saying that the lizard resembled the Pokémon character Charmander, others tried to explain the reason behind such a phenomenon.
Another day, another amusing video has surfaced on the Internet, with people screaming, 'Is that a real-life Charmander?" The clip, taken somewhere in Cambodia, showcased a lizard, seemingly 'shooting fire" from its tail, quite similar to the popular Pokémon character. The lizard was seen walking on a wall, with its tail lighting up every few seconds, which piqued the curiosity of everyone.
The now-viral video was shared on Instagram just a few days ago, though the exact time and location remain unknown. In the caption of the post, the user wrote, 'A man was exploring his backyard in Cambodia when he witnessed something absolutely insane. He saw a gecko, but this wasn't normal. As he watched closely, the gecko's tail suddenly sparked a small flame and ignited actual fire… like a matchstick being lit."
The user continued, 'In the video, you can clearly see the tail catch fire, burning for a few seconds before fading out. The man had never seen anything like this in his life."
Asking people on the Internet what the reason could be behind such a phenomenon, the user added, 'What do you think? What kind of gecko lizard does that? Is it a rare natural mutation… or something supernatural?"
How Did The Internet React To The Video?
The bizarre video has sparked a frenzy among online users. While a major section of users have filled the comments section with Charmander-related gifs, another joked, 'Charmander, is that you?"
One more added, 'Dude found a Charmander and didn't even catch him."
Someone said, 'I love our generation, we see something mind-boggling and instead of marvelling at the unexplained world around us, our first instinct is to make a reference to it with Pokémon."
Some Online Users Also Came Up With Their Own Explanations
Taking to the comments section of the video, a user pointed out that it could be a rare species of lizard, saying, 'The Turniptail Lightbulb-Lizard (Riama cashcaensis) is a lizard known for its potential to illuminate its tail. This lizard, also known as the Kizirian's Lightbulb-Lizard, is found in Ecuador and is known to burrow. While the exact mechanism of tail illumination is still under investigation, it's thought to be related to the presence of a substance within the tail that glows when exposed to light or breaks down."
Another explained, ' So, there's an extremely rare variant of lizards that are almost extinct, which produce flammable sparks from the tip of their tails when wiggled due to micro fibre frictions produced in their tails. This was originally the inspiration behind the popular 'Charmander' character from the popular series 'Pokémon'."
'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," argued a different user.
Since the video has been posted, it has garnered over 16 million views on the social media platform.
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First Published:
July 30, 2025, 09:26 IST
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