Content
- Does the gecko bite?
- Does the lizard have poison?
- Does a gecko transmit disease?
- What are poisonous lizards?
- A lizard has entered my house, what should I do?
- The tail of the lizards
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we are going to present you some information about one of the animals that often inhabits our homes: we are talking about lizards. For some people, they are not a cause for concern. Others question whether the geckos are poisonous, whether the gecko bites or whether the gecko droppings can transmit any disease.
And that's exactly what we're going to clarify in this article. You will even find out which lizards are poisonous and that we should be careful. Some of these reptiles can reach up to 3 meters in length, unlike small lizards. Do you want to know if does the lizard have poison? So keep reading this text.
Does the gecko bite?
If you have doubts about whether the lizard bites, know that it doesn't, most of the time the lizard does not bite nor does it attack human beings. The tropical house gecko or wall gecko is not a threat to people. Of course, if a person holds it against its will, the animal will instinctively bite it.
What is worth noting is that the lizard is a very important animal in the environment and can benefit us. That's because the gecko eats cheap, mosquito, fly, cricket and other insects that can be considered unwanted in our homes.
Some of the best known species of gecko are:
- Hemidactylus Mabouia
- Hemidactylus frenatus
- Podarcis muralis
The lizards are species of lizards that do have teeth, precisely because of the type of food they have. Some lizards feed not only on insects, but also on spiders, earthworms and even little rodents.
Also know that there are lizards capable of biting humans when they feel threatened, such as the Komodo dragon, the biggest lizard in the world. However, it is a species that does not live in many places, being restricted to some islands in Indonesia and the reported cases of attacks on people are infrequent, there is a low number of registered victims.
Does the lizard have poison?
No, the lizard has no poison and there is no such thing as a poisonous gecko. As we have seen, a gecko neither bites nor attacks human beings. In reality, most lizards are not poisonous, only a very limited number of them actually have poison. The types of venomous lizards are usually large in size and do not usually live in urban spaces, which means that the lizards we can find at home are not poisonous because they do not have any type of venom. Later in this article we will explain which types of lizards are venomous.
Does a gecko transmit disease?
If you are unsure whether the gecko has poison, you have probably also heard that the gecko transmits disease. And yes, the gecko can transmit some diseases - as it happens with many other animals.
Have you ever heard of the "Lizard Disease" as it is popularly known to platinosome, a disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted to cats that have eaten or bitten geckos or other reptiles that have the parasite.
As cats, especially females, usually hunt lizards by instinct, the disease is more common than among male cats. If contaminated, felines may experience fever, vomiting, yellowish stools, weight loss, drowsiness and diarrhea, so it is recommended avoid contact of cats with lizards. But we know that doing this is difficult precisely because of the feline instinct.
Another issue that we should pay attention to is that the lizards walk on the floor, walls and other places, thus being able to step on their own feces, not to mention garbage dumps and other contaminated places, thus keeping their dirty paws.
This is one of the reasons why it is important not to leave food exposed at home, and if you do, wash it before eating, such as fruit, as there may be gecko droppings in it.
The gecko can also carry salmonella bacteria and transmit it through their feces. So if you are going to handle a lizard, remember to wash your hands well then. Salmonella bacteria can be present in eggs and undercooked meat and, as we have seen, also in gecko feces.
What are poisonous lizards?
We have already seen that the lizard is not poisonous. And several studies have identified that poisonous species of lizards are found within the genus Heloderma, such as the Heloderma suspectum, known as the Gila Monster, which lives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. However, it is a very slow moving animal and is not aggressive, which is why it does not pose much of a threat to humans in this regard. Another poisonous species of this genus is Heloderma Horridum, known as beaded lizard, which is also native to Mexico, the United States and Guatemala.
On the other hand, it has long been thought that the species Varanus Komodoensis, the famous Komodo Dragon, was not poisonous, but when biting the bacteria in its mouth, it caused strong infections in its prey, finally generating septicemia. However, more recent studies have reported that Komodo dragon is a poisonous species able to inoculate a toxic substance into its prey.
In short, yes, there are species of poisonous lizards, but they are few and are usually found in non-urban spaces and are of large size, unlike house lizards, which are not poisonous.
A lizard has entered my house, what should I do?
As we already know, lizards have a certain attraction for our homes because they have the right conditions to live. They can either lodge in more hidden places or find food sources. Be aware that if you have healthy hygiene habits, such as washing food before eating it, geckos will not pose a risk to you. Also, they will help you control insects and spiders in your home.
But if you don't want to have geckos at home, pay attention to these tips on how to scare away geckos:
- Eliminate your food source: if you prefer to drive away the geckos, keep the space free of insects to eliminate their food source. Thus, they will be forced to leave the place.
- natural repellent: if you can identify the places where they take refuge, you can spray cade or juniper oil, which are natural repellents for these reptiles.
- capture it: You can also capture them very carefully so as not to harm them and release them in an open space such as a park. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
The tail of the lizards
Geckos have a great ability to regenerate after "letting go" their tail. They use this ability when they feel threatened and their goal is to deceive predators. The phenomenon, called caudal autotomy, does not mean that you should play with this animal and injure it. Remember that the gecko is a harmless animal, necessary in nature and can be your ally, because remember that lizard eats cockroaches and other insects.
Now that you know that a gecko has no poison, have you thought about taking care of a gecko as a pet? Check out how to take care of a loepardo gecko in this article. In the video below, you will find out more about the Komodo Dragon.
If you want to read more articles similar to Does a gecko have poison?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.