poisonous reptiles
What are poisonous reptiles?
Poisonous reptiles are defined as a group of some types of snakes and lizards that can introduce a poison to the bodies of humans and other animals through their bites.
Poisonous snakes have specialized hollow, needle-like teeth that pierce the skin and inject poison into it, while poisonous lizards do not have these teeth, but rather It has glands at the base of the lower jaw through which poison flows, and it is worth noting that some types of these reptiles can cause great damage to the organisms that are subjected to their bites and can even cause death.
While there are some species that the poison they possess is not very dangerous, the types of poisons possessed by these reptiles vary, as one of these reptiles can contain one or more components of toxins, and these components include Neuromuscular toxins and hematological conditions.
Types of poisonous reptiles
Are there many types of poisonous reptiles that live on Earth's surface? And what are its types?
More than 500 species of poisonous snakes live on the surface of the earth, and as for lizards, the vast majority of them are non-venomous, but there are some species capable of poisoning other living organisms, and the following will talk about the types of poisonous reptiles:
- King Cobra: It is the longest venomous snake in the world, as it can reach a length of approximately 5.5 meters. This type of venomous snake contains enough neurotoxins to kill an Asian elephant, and kill 50% of the humans who are bitten by this snake.
- Tiger Snake: This type of snake uses a powerful mixture of neurotoxins and muscle toxins, prompting it to kill its victims using these toxins. It is worth noting that the size of the tiger snake varies greatly depending on the type of its preferred prey.
- Inland Taipan Snake: Also known as the fierce snake, it is one of the deadliest types of snakes on Earth, as its bite can kill a human being in less than one hour, as the venom of this snake causes bleeding in blood vessels and muscle tissue.
- Black Mamba: The black mamba is the fastest snake in the world, as this snake can reach a speed of about 12.5 miles per hour, and its bite can kill a human being in less than 30 minutes, and these snakes kill their prey by repeatedly biting it With a lethal amount of neurotoxin injected into each bite.
Types of poisonous lizards
Most types of lizards are harmless to humans, but there are some types that may be poisonous or aggressive, as these types of lizards can kill, maim, or cause diseases and at least mild levels of pain to their human victims, and the following is a mention of some types of lizards Toxic:
- Gila monster: This lizard kills its prey by a strong bite using its strong muscular jaw that it uses to catch prey and then the poison leaks into the wounds it caused, and the neurotoxin of these lizards is formed in the glands in the lower jaw and then this poison runs through grooves inside the teeth orchid.
- Mexican beads lizard: No confirmed human deaths have been reported associated with this type of lizard. The way this lizard kills prey is similar to that of the Gila monster lizard, where some prey locks their jaws and then the teeth push the neurotoxin into the wound of the prey.
- Komodo dragon lizard: is the largest species of lizard found on Earth, and these lizards usually eat pigs, deer, and livestock, and a number of Komodo dragon attacks have been recorded on humans, as these lizards bite the prey and pass poison into the wound, causing anticoagulation The blood will slow down and kill the prey.
Where are poisonous reptiles located?
Poisonous snakes inhabit a wide range extending from sea level to altitudes of up to 4000 meters, and some types of venomous snakes are found within the Arctic Circle, but there are no other venomous types in cold regions such as the Arctic and Antarctica, and some species can be found in Madagascar and Chile, poisonous snakes are also widely spread in the Indian and Pacific oceans between latitudes 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south, and some types of these snakes are also found in estuaries and some freshwater lakes such as; Taal Lake in the Philippines and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia.
The Gila monster lizard is found in parts of the US states such as Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and some Mexican states such as Sonora and Sinaloa.
The Mexican bead lizard can also be found in areas between the Pacific coast of Mexico from the border between the states of Sinaloa and Sonora in the south to the border of Mexico with Guatemala, while The Komodo dragon lizard is found on the island of Komodo and a few islands adjacent to the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.
How to distinguish poisonous reptiles
To find out whether a reptile that humans may encounter is poisonous or not, a person must be familiar with the types of reptiles that live in the same area with him, and in the event that a person is bitten by one of these reptiles, health care must be sought for him quickly, and in what There comes a mention of how to distinguish poisonous reptiles:
- Pit snakes have a triangular head with a hole between the eyes and the nose.
- Rattlesnakes have a small part at the end of their tail that vibrates and makes a sound.
- Coral snakes are distinguished by their bright colors, which are usually bright red, yellow, and black bands.
- The black mamba is olive or gray in color and the inside of its mouth is blue and black.
- Cobras have a head covering that appears and expands when they sense danger.
How to distinguish poisonous lizards:
There are many poisonous lizards, and as mentioned, lizards, in general, do not affect the extent that snakes do, but in order to protect the person himself, the type of lizard must be distinguished in order to know the degree of danger to which he may be exposed. During:
- The Gila monster lizard is distinguished by its strong body with black and pink spots or stripes, and it has bead-like scales, and these lizards can reach 50 cm in length.
- The Mexican bead lizard is similar in appearance to the Gila monster lizard, except that the Mexican bead lizard is darker and longer than the Gila monster lizard, with a length of up to 80 cm.
- The Komodo dragon lizard has a length of up to 3 meters and a weight of 135 kg, as well as a great speed.