A man lost a finger after being bitten by a lizard while attempting to give it water. Jos Olimpio, a manual laborer, offered the reptile a drink from his bottle, and it unexpectedly attacked his hand, holding onto his fingers until his colleagues managed to release it. He was promptly taken to a nearby clinic where emergency surgery was performed, resulting in the amputation of one of his fingers.
The lizard involved in the incident was a black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae), known as the largest species in Brazil. These reptiles, native to Central and South America, can grow up to two meters long but usually reach around 50cm. Tegus typically feed on a variety of prey, including insects, birds, rodents, amphibians, other lizards, eggs, fruit, and leaves. They tend to only attack humans when they feel threatened.
Jefferson Marcelo from the Federal University of Mato Grosso explained that the lizard’s behavior was a natural response to feeling cornered and threatened. He emphasized the importance of not approaching these animals, especially with bare hands, and recommended placing food or water near them and stepping away to avoid incidents.
In a separate incident in late 2023 in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, a local man was captured on video trying to feed an egg to a wild tegu lizard, which aggressively lunged at his hand instead of accepting the offering. This event led local wildlife experts to warn against feeding wild reptiles. Christian Raboch Lempek, a biologist with the Fujama environmental agency, mentioned that the lizard’s behavior was likely due to it being accustomed to being fed by humans, mistaking them for a food source.
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