Do Lizards Bite? Here Are The Species That Are And Aren't Harmful
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Two lizards found in North America are poisonous - the Gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard.
It is necessary for owners to understand that it is all about survival and food for all reptiles, which causes them to give warning signs and attack anyone with a bite. Lizards are also not highly domesticated like dogs and cats.
Lizards are common members of Squamata reptiles and more than 6000 species occur across most oceanic chains of islands and all continents except Antarctica. Lizards come in all sizes, ranging from small geckos and chameleons to big species like Komodo dragons. Lizards are carnivores, and they sit and wait for their prey.
Small lizard species eat insects, and larger ones can even feed on water buffaloes. Most lizards run side-to-side on all four limbs. Legless lizards are snake-like as they have lost their legs.
Some are capable of gliding. To escape predators, lizards can lose and regrow their tails.
They use reflex bleeding, venom, and camouflage to escape predators. Lizards use the sense of touch, sight, hearing, and olfaction. Like many mammals and all snakes, the vomeronasal organ (olfactory system) of all lizards detects pheromones.
Most lizards are active in the day and some at night like geckos. However, all lizards need sunlight to regulate their body temperature. Lizards are territorial and a male will always occupy a territory before breeding.
If you enjoy reading these facts about do lizards bite, then make sure to read some more interesting facts about if lizards hibernate and if lizards lay eggs here at Kidadl.
Do lizards bite?
Lizards tend to bite with their teeth unlike fangs in poisonous snakes.
Like other animals, lizards need to defend themselves from predators like cats, wild animals, or even humans. Lizards are usually harmless creatures and non-venomous. So, they would flee if they are threatened or stressed.
Also, lizards that are kept as pets in homes will not bite because they are bred in captivity safe for you and your child. Lizards will give various signs before they actually bite. So, as an owner of a reptile, you must read these signs.
Lizards start hissing, swells up, and will keep the mouth wide open. These are obvious signs to leave your pet reptile alone. Some reasons for lizard bite are startling your pet, hand feeding, hunger, or stress.
What does a lizard bite look like?
Lizard bite wound varies as per species. The bite can be small or big enough to puncture your skin.
A lizard bite can leave the humans' skin red and sometimes the skin can tear. The bite usually does not penetrate the skin but can do if you let your lizard latch on for longer. Sometimes a lizard's bite can injure bones, joints, and muscles too causing serious wounds.
You will also find minor scrapes, puncture wounds, or teeth marks in the bite area. It is possible for a lizard's teeth to break off in the wound or for humans to develop other skin infections.
Although bites might not be dangerous, lizards carry diseases like unwanted bacteria or salmonella. These pathogens might cause health problems like fever or vomiting. These bacterias can be transmitted through lizards' feces or urine.
Lizard Bite Symptoms
Lizard bite symptoms are swelling, a lot of bleeding, discolored bite area, headache, vomiting, stomach cramps, weakness, thirst, sweating, and severe pain.
The bite symptoms of non-poisonous and poisonous lizards are different. Non-poisonous bites of lizards will not cause severe health issues.
If someone gets bitten by a poisonous lizard then it is vital to identify the size and type of the lizard. The amount of venom that the from the lizard must also be noted.
It is also necessary to note the size, health, age of the person bitten by the lizard, and the number of strikes received by the victim. It is important to get emergency medicine and care from professionals if you get bit by poisonous lizards.
It can take up to a few minutes or hours for a person to show symptoms.
Some of these symptoms are swelling, pain, discoloration, swollen lymph nodes, ringing in the ears, fever, thirst, and weakness. If the bite is serious then the victim's blood pressure can drop.
The signs of pain in a toddler or a baby are different compared to the pain in a child or an adult. Also, baby lizards' bite is not painful compared to bites from an adult.
What to do if a lizard bites you?
If a lizard bites you, make sure to wash the bite area with warm water for five minutes, without using any iodine, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. You can soak the bite wound in warm water for a few days.
Whenever your lizard bites while you are handling it, never scream, shout, or put the pet back in their tank. Always try to stay calm around your pet.
It is always recommended to wash off germs if you handle lizards or their foods. All of these creatures can carry salmonella.
It can a few minutes for mild symptoms to show up. A non-poisonous lizard bite is like getting a cut.
You will need to clean a wash like other wounds to prevent infection. You will also need to disinfect the wound. It is necessary to keep the wound clean at all times to avoid bacteria build-up.
However, you must not use any chemicals as they can cause tissue damage and the wound heals at a slower rate than usual. If a lizard is not a pet but a pest it is better to visit the doctor to check for any bacteria transfer.
If the lizard bite is poisonous then emergency services must be called and you must not wait for the symptoms to show up. It is necessary for you to know the type of lizard that bit you to get the right antivenom dosage.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestion for if lizards bite then why not take a look at if lizards have teeth or monitor lizard facts?
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Bachelor of Engineering specializing in Aeronautical/Aerospace Technology, Master of Business Administration specializing in Management
Arpitha RajendraBachelor of Engineering specializing in Aeronautical/Aerospace Technology, Master of Business Administration specializing in Management
With a background in Aeronautical Engineering and practical experience in various technical areas, Arpitha is a valuable member of the Kidadl content writing team. She did her Bachelor's degree in Engineering, specializing in Aeronautical Engineering, at Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology in 2020. Arpitha has honed her skills through her work with leading companies in Bangalore, where she contributed to several noteworthy projects, including the development of high-performance aircraft using morphing technology and the analysis of crack propagation using Abaqus XFEM.
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