Poisonous Lizards - Types and Photos

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 23 January 2021
Update Date: 7 November 2024
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Lizards are a group of animals that have more than 5,000 identified species all around the world. They are considered successful for their diversity, but they have also managed to occupy almost all ecosystems globally. It is a group with internal variations in terms of morphology, reproduction, feeding and behavior.

Many species are found in wild areas, while others inhabit urban areas or close to them and, precisely because they are close to humans, there is often a concern about which ones. dangerous lizards they can pose some kind of threat to people.

For some time it was thought that the species of lizards that were poisonous were very limited, however, recent studies have shown many more species than were originally believed to be capable of producing toxic chemicals. Although most are not equipped with dental structures to directly inoculate the venom, it can enter the victim's bloodstream along with saliva once the teeth have been bitten.


Therefore, in this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about poisonous lizards - types and photos, so you know how to identify them. As you will see, most poisonous lizards belong to the genus Heloderma and Varanus.

beaded lizard

The beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) is a kind of lizard that is threatened by the pressures that its population receives through indiscriminate hunting, given its poisonous nature, but also by the illegal trade, as both medicinal and aphrodisiac properties are attributed to it and, in many cases, there are people who keep this lizard as a pet.

It is characterized by measuring about 40 cm, being robust, with a large head and body, but with a short tail. The color varies on the body, ranging from light brown to dark with combinations between black and yellow. It's found mainly in Mexico, along the Pacific coast.


Gila Monster

the Gila Monster or Heloderma suspectum inhabits arid areas of northern Mexico and southern United States. It measures about 60 cm, having a very heavy body, which limits its movements, so it tends to move slowly. Its legs are short, although it has strong claws. Its coloration may include pink, yellow, or white spots on black or brown scales.

It is a carnivore, feeding on rodents, small birds, insects, frogs and eggs, among others. It is a protected species, as it is also found in vulnerability state.

Guatemalan beaded lizard

The Guatemalan Beaded Lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti) é native of guatemala, inhabiting dry forests. Its population is strongly impacted by habitat destruction and the illegal trade of the species, which makes it to be in critical extinction hazard.


It feeds mainly on eggs and insects, having arboreal habits. The color of the body of this poisonous lizard it is black with irregular yellow spots.

Komodo dragon

The dreaded Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) é Indonesia endemic and can measure up to 3 meters in length and weigh about 70 kg. For a long time it was thought that this, one of the largest lizards in the world, was not poisonous, but due to a mixture of pathogenic bacteria that inhabit its saliva, when biting its victim, it impregnated the wound with saliva that ended up causing sepsis in the prey. . However, further studies have shown that they are capable of producing poison, causing important effects on victims.

These poisonous lizards are active live prey hunters, although they can also feed on carrion. Once they bite the prey, they wait for the poison's effects to work and the prey to collapse, then start tearing and eating.

The Komodo Dragon is included in the red list of endangered species, therefore, protection strategies were established.

Savannah Varano

Another of the poisonous lizards is the Varano-das-savannas (Varanus exanthematicus) or Varano-Terrestrial-African. It has a thick body, as does its skin, whereby immunity to bites from other poisonous animals is attributed. can measure up to 1.5 meters and its head is broad, with a narrow neck and tail.

is from Africa, however, was introduced in Mexico and the United States. It feeds mainly on spiders, insects, scorpions, but also on small vertebrates.

goanna

The Goanna (varanus varius) is an arboreal species Australia endemic. It inhabits dense forests, within which it can travel large extensions. It is large, measuring up to just over 2 meters and weighing approximately 20 kg.

On the other hand, these poisonous lizards are carnivores and scavengers. As for its coloration, it is between dark gray and black, and it may have black and cream colored spots on its body.

Mitchell-Water Monitor

The Mitchell-Water Monitor (varanus mitchelli) live in australia, specifically in swamps, rivers, ponds and in water bodies generally. It also has the ability to be arboreal, but always in trees associated with water bodies.

This other venomous lizard from Australia has a varied diet, which includes aquatic or terrestrial animals, birds, small mammals, eggs, invertebrates and fish.

Monitor-Argus

Among the most venomous lizards that exist, the monitor-Argus also stands out (Varanus panoptes). It is found in the Australia and New Guinea and females measure up to 90 cm, while males can reach 140 cm.

They are distributed over several types of terrestrial habitats and also close to water bodies, and are excellent diggers. Their diet is very varied and includes many small vertebrates and invertebrates.

Thorny-tailed lizard

The Thorny-tailed Lizard (Varanus acanthurus) owes its name to the presence of spiny structures on its tail, which he uses in his defense. It is small in size and inhabits mostly arid areas and is a good digger.

Its coloring is reddish-brown, with the presence of yellow spots. The food of this venomous lizard is based on insects and small mammals.

Earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis)

The earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) é endemic to some areas of Asia, inhabiting tropical forests, near rivers or water bodies. Although they don't have certain external structures for hearing, they can hear in addition to being able to emit certain sounds. They measure up to 40 cm, have nocturnal habits and are carnivores, feeding on crustaceans, fish and earthworms.

It was not always known that this species of lizard was poisonous, however, it has recently been possible to identify glands that produce toxic substances, which have a anticoagulant effect, although not as potent as that of other lizards. The bites of this kind are not lethal to people.

The venom of lizards of the genus Heloderma

The bite of these poisonous lizards is quite painful and when it is caused in healthy people, they can recover. However, sometimes can be deadly, as they cause important symptoms in the victim, such as asphyxia, paralysis and hypothermia, therefore, cases must be dealt with immediately. These lizards of the genus Heloderma do not directly inoculate the venom, but when they tear the victim's skin, they secrete the toxic substance from the specialized glands and this flows into the wound, entering the prey's body.

This poison is a cocktail of several chemical compounds, such as enzymes (hyaluronidase and phospholipase A2), hormones and proteins (serotonin, helothermin, gilatoxin, helodermatin, exenatide and gilatide, among others).

Some of these compounds contained in the venom of these animals were studied, as is the case of gilatide (isolated from the Gila monster) and exenatide, which seem to have Amazing benefits in diseases like Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes, respectively.

The venom of Varanus lizards

For a time it was thought that only lizards belonging to the genus Heloderma were poisonous, however, later studies showed that toxicity is also present in the genus Varanus. These have poisonous glands in each jaw, which flow through specialized channels between each pair of teeth.

The poison these animals produce is a enzyme cocktail, similar to that of some snakes and, as in the Heloderma group, they cannot directly inoculate the victim, but when biting, the toxic substance penetrates into the blood along with saliva, causing coagulation problems, generating effusions, in addition to hypotension and shock which ends with the collapse of the person who suffered the bite. The classes of toxins identified in the venom of these animals are rich protein cysteine, kallikrein, natriuretic peptide and phospholipase A2.

A clear difference between the genus Heloderma and Varanus is that in the former the venom is transported through dental canaliculi, while in the latter the substance is excreted from the interdental areas.

Some accidents of people with these poisonous lizards ended in a fatal way, as the victims end up bleeding to death. On the other hand, whoever is treated quickly gets saved.

Lizards wrongly considered to be poisonous

Commonly, in several regions, some myths are generated about these animals, specifically in relation to their danger, as they are considered to be poisonous. However, this proves to be a false belief that often ends up harming the population group due to indiscriminate hunting, especially with wall geckos. Let's look at some examples of lizards that are wrongly considered poisonous:

  • Caiman lizard, snake lizard or scorpion lizard (Gerrhonotus liocephalus).
  • Mountain lizard lizard (Barisia imbricata).
  • little dragons (Taenian abronia y grassy abronia).
  • False Chameleon (Phrynosoma orbicularis).
  • Smooth-skinned lizard-skinned oak tree (Plestiodon lynxe).

A common feature of venomous lizard species is that most are in some vulnerability state, that is, they are in danger of extinction. The fact that an animal is dangerous does not give us the right to annihilate it, regardless of the consequences it has on the species. In this sense, all forms of life on the planet must be valued and respected in their due dimension.

Now that you know about poisonous lizards, check out the following video where we tell you more about the attractive Komodo Dragon:

If you want to read more articles similar to Poisonous Lizards - Types and Photos, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.