Lizards - International Wildlife Museum

Lizards - The Dangerous and The Deadly
Until just a few years ago, it was thought that there were only two venomous lizard species in the world - the Gila monster and the beaded lizard, both which live in the Sonoran Desert.
Recent studies show that some monitor lizards, including the Komodo dragon, and some species of iguanas also have venom.
Gila Monster and Beaded Lizard
Komodo Dragon
Iguanas
Gila monsters and beaded lizards have venom
that is produced in the salivary glands of the
lower jaw. When the lizard latches onto its prey,
it begins to chew, releasing the venom into the
wound of the animal. The Gila monster produces
Gila Monster
a neurotoxin in its venom which is as potent as a coral snake’s venom;
however, the Gila monster produces much less. The venom causes
extreme pain, bleeding, nausea and vomiting.
The beaded lizard produces a hemotoxin which
can cause respiratory failure. Both species
rarely cause human deaths. Studies are being
conducted on the venom of both species
in the search for new drugs to treat cancer,
Alzheimers, diabetes and HIV.
Within the last five years, komodo dragons and some other
species of monitor lizards were discovered to have venom
glands. It was thought that bites from these lizards caused death
to their prey through the abundant amounts of bacteria in their
mouths, including E. Coli and Staphylococcus. Komodo dragons,
however, have two venom glands in the lower jaw which secrete
toxins that inhibit blood
clotting, lower blood
pressure and cause
muscle paralysis and
hypothermia, which
lead to shock and loss
of consciousness in
envenomated prey.
Recently, venom
glands have been
found in some
species of iguanas.
In the past, the
symptoms caused
by bites were
thought to have
been from the bacteria in the iguana’s mouth.
Iguanas retain characteristics of the ancestral
venom system - glands on both upper and
lower jaws which deliver small amounts of
venom. More advanced venomous reptiles
only have venom glands on one set of jaws.
Beaded Lizard