Do lizards bite? Are they poisonous?

Lizards are animals with a very long history and their appearance looks very ancient. Nowadays people like to raise various kinds of pets, and lizards are also a very good choice. Wild lizards are national protected animals, and pets are generally artificially bred and can be traded. However, some people don't know much about lizards and worry that they are poisonous. So, are lizard bites poisonous? Let’s take a look below.

Introduction of Lizard

Lizards, also known as four-legged snakes, are national second-level wild protected animals and belong to cold-blooded reptiles. They are also called snake aunts. Lizards and snakes are closely related and have many similarities. Their bodies are covered with keratin scales derived from the epidermis, their cloaca are a horizontal fissure, and males have a pair of copulators. There are about 6,000 species distributed on the earth, and more than 150 species are known in my country. Most of them are distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, and their living environments are diverse. They are mainly terrestrial, but some are arboreal, semi-aquatic, and burrowing in the soil. Most of them feed on insects, but a few species also feed on plants. It is very similar to its early reptilian ancestors that appeared during the Triassic period. Most reproduce by laying eggs, but some species have evolved to give birth directly to young lizards. It is more common in Yunnan and Guangdong, and less common in Fujian.

Are lizards poisonous?

Of the 6,000 species of lizards in the world, only two are known to be venomous, belonging to the family Gilaena, and both are found in North and Central America. One is the Gila monster, also known as the blunt-tailed monster, and the other is the larger Guatemalan beaded monster. Many people think that the Komodo dragon is poisonous, which is a misunderstanding. There are a large number of germs in the oral secretions of Komodo dragons, which can easily cause wound infection, so it is not "toxic". The mouth of a newborn Komodo dragon is still very "clean" and most of them are non-toxic. Some species of monitor lizards eat carrion and therefore have a lot of bacteria in their mouths. People bitten by them are prone to tetanus, so it is best to go to the hospital for treatment after being bitten.

How to keep lizards

1. Prepare a box that is suitable for the lizard's activities and has good ventilation. Spread cat litter or special reptile litter underneath. Place a hiding hole or make a small hole on the edge of an inverted flowerpot and fill a small dish with water. In winter, you should also prepare a heating pad for reptiles and keep the temperature at around 25 degrees.

2. When raising lizards, sufficient light is needed to promote the absorption of calcium in the lizard's body and prevent the lizard from developing rickets. The most suitable living temperature for it is 10-30 degrees. When raising lizards, it is important to maintain a stable temperature and the temperature difference should not vary too much. Otherwise, the lizard may get sick easily, and even die in severe cases.

3. The food mainly consists of small insects. It is generally best to feed newly molted mealworms, pinhead crickets, small cockroaches, etc. If you find that your lizard is malnourished, you can add some nutrients to its food, such as vitamin tablets or calcium powder.

4. Lizards can bite people, so be careful when raising lizards to avoid being bitten.