Look Out Bearded Dragons Are Venemous

[SPJ]

Interesting Reading.

http://www.venomdoc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1858

http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1506321.htm

http://www.venomdoc.com/downloads/2005_BGF_Nature_squamate_venom.pdf

 

[Rebel Dragons]

They are certainly interesting articles . I'll have to do some more research on this topic before I post an opinion.

 

[FireDrake]

I tell you what, It sure makes sense to me, every time I get bitten by one of my dragons it itches like CRAZY. In fact, if I just get their saliva on me, even without a bite, it itches!

I just hope local governments dont get wind of this, they will try to ban them!

 

[markface]

very interesting . it also explains alot especaily with the monitors .

 

[NicoleO]

Oh please someone's been watching that stupid kids movie Holes a few to many times. I've been bitten by my beardies several times and I've never had a problem, I even had one break the skin in a bite but it healed just fine on its own without antibiotics. Humans have more bacteria in their mouths than any animal on the planet but you don't see people doing studies on human bites and say that we're poisonous even though we actually are on a bacterial level. There are actually more cases of human bites recorded than animal bites but we still insist that the animals are more dangerous even though the animals are just trying to protect themselves.

These studies are fine until they become ammo for someone thats against people that keep these animals or when some kind of bacterial infection comes up and they can blame the animal for it even though it was their poor hygiene that caused the problem in the first place. I don't mind having this information but we all know that in the end someone's going to be an idiot and use these studies to try to hurt someone else because thats just human nature.

 

[scalesnstuff]

Actually

I have had a copy of this for 7 months now. The scientists that originally did the research also held it for a short period of time. Their main concern was exactly what you said. People going overboard. The venom is similar to a rattlesnakes but is such a small amount it is barely fatal to a bug. The only thing these scientist were trying to prove is that it is not the bacteria that can make the bite area swell but the venom.
I seriously doubt much will come fo this anyways, there are spiders and scorpions that pack more of a punch than these lizards ever can.
I personally found it to be interesting, I own 10 venomous lizards now

 

[FireDrake]

Oh please someone's been watching that stupid kids movie Holes a few to many times. I've been bitten by my beardies several times and I've never had a problem, I even had one break the skin in a bite but it healed just fine on its own without antibiotics.

Well scoff all you want, this is true, I have a reaction to dragon bites, it is not in my head and its not because I saw Holes!

 

[Cat_72]

Oh please someone's been watching that stupid kids movie Holes a few to many times. I've been bitten by my beardies several times and I've never had a problem, I even had one break the skin in a bite but it healed just fine on its own without antibiotics. Humans have more bacteria in their mouths than any animal on the planet but you don't see people doing studies on human bites and say that we're poisonous even though we actually are on a bacterial level. There are actually more cases of human bites recorded than animal bites but we still insist that the animals are more dangerous even though the animals are just trying to protect themselves.

Nicole, it's just like a lot of things.....just because YOU have never had a reaction to a bite, doesn't mean that no one could. Most people survive a bee sting with some mild discomfort, others die within minutes of being stung. And no one is "blaming the animals" for protecting themselves. I've been bitten by my Beardies a couple of times, and it was my own dumb fault when it happened.

I found the article quite interesting, but I read it somewhat quickly, I'll have to go back and really read it when I have time.

 

[InFocus]

Well scoff all you want, this is true, I have a reaction to dragon bites, it is not in my head and its not because I saw Holes!

I kind of have to agree with Sarah here. I was bitten on the under side of my forearm just infront of my elbow and I had a reaction that was not typical of most of the lizard bites I have received. Was I envenomated? No Bacteria...venom, I never had it cultured so who knows but it was not a usual bite.

 

[scalesnstuff]

And that is all the study was for. To find out why the bites were swelling.

 

[reptilebreeder]

there is another thread where we were talking about this, sometime in Nov. I'll just paste my response from that thread. I make reference to a monitor bite, because in the other thread someone used their reaction to a bite from one as their "acceptance" of lizards being venomous.

I've read some of Dr Fry's work, but not any of this more recent stuff. Not having read the new work, my opinion is that this is just a result of the new technologies we now have. I know what you're thinking.........Duh, John that's what we're talking about. What I mean is, we may need to redefine the meaning of venomous, in the context we use it. We are now able to test for things we weren't able to in the past. Heck, maybe someone can test human saliva and find an enzyme that has "venomous" properties. Cobras, Rattlesnakes, Heloderma, etc., all have well defined "venom systems", even some of the rear fanged snakes have somewhat defined "systems" though not as complex. These systems include the venom, venom delivery method (fangs, grooved teeth), and actual venom producing and holding methods. IMHO, I don't think just because some of these animals have an enzyme or two in their saliva, that they are venomous.
I didn't read the account of the Savannah (sp?) monitor bite, but as mentioned, it sounds like an allergic reaction, which can range from simple localized itching, and redness at the site, to a more generalized rash or hives, to a full systemic anaphylactic reaction (a true life threatening reaction). Venom could cause such a reaction in people, but so can just about anything that a person develops a sensitivity to. Just the past day or two ago, a teen age girl died of anaphylactic reaction from kissing her boyfriend, who had been eating peanuts, which she was allergic to (according to the news). We humans are becoming more and more sensitive to "irritants", cases of asthma, and allergic reactions to lots of things, that use to be "harmless". I've been bitten by Savannah's as well as many Species and ssp. of Garter Snakes, and Water snakes native to CA, AZ, TX, as well as one or two eastern states, and never had any problems. Like I said, I haven't read the latest, but at this time I think it is "much ado, about nothing" or whatever that saying is.

 

[Rebel Dragons]

After reading all the articles and researching the topic in other places, I don't think it's a major issue on any level.

I don't see the government swooping in to regulate the lizard trade and I don't see a mass panic by lizard owners because the bearded dragon they have has a minuscule amount of venom in its saliva.

It would just be silly to get worked up about it.

 

[FireDrake]

I agree, it is silly to get worked up over, and even though I have reactions to dragon bites, I am not about to get rid of my dragons!

But here's an example of how local governments can be a pain: In Denver a few years back the gov tried to ban poison dart frogs, because, well, they are poisionous. Right? No, not in captivity, but they still wanted to ban them as dangerous pets.

Do not underestimate the stupidity of people!

 

[Rebel Dragons]

Do not underestimate the stupidity of people!

Yeah, you might be right.

Allentown, Pa banned ferrets a few years ago because one of the council women read a news report that a ferret "tried to kill" a baby. When infact the ferret was just trying to "steal" the rubbery nipple off the baby's bottle and accidentally bit the baby's lip. The press report was total BS but you know how the press is with any "exotic" animal.

I can just imagine what kind of "killer beardie" stories people could come up with.