World’s Most Dangerous Lizards – That Can Even Kill You

For most people, lizards are just tiny creatures that scuttle around on the walls in hotter climates, certainly not something to be afraid of.

However, the tiny lizards we’re both thinking of have much larger cousins who are extremely dangerous and can even kill you.

So, we’re going to review the world’s most dangerous lizards that can even kill you, and hopefully, you never have to meet one face to face.

1- Komodo Dragon

Almost everybody has heard of the famous Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis).

It’s the largest and heaviest lizard still alive on the planet. Its natural habitat is the Lessa Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

The Komodo Dragon can be as long as 10 feet and can weigh over 300 lbs but generally only reaches 150 lbs in the wild.

So think about how that compares to you.

Size isn’t everything, but in this case, it certainly is.

Komodo dragons are venomous, but it’s not the venom you need to be concerned about, as their jaw strength is enough to snap an adult male’s leg in half, and in some cases, Komodo Dragons will even eat humans.

There have been 24 reported attacks by Komodo Dragons and five known fatalities.

In addition, there are other reports of villagers going missing and presumed eaten by Komodo Dragons.  

2- Gila Monster

Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) are not massive; they grow to around 2 feet long and weigh up to 5 lbs.

You’ll find them in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. 

The Gila Monster has a fearsome reputation, which dates back to the old west or pioneer times, and this has continued until today, with people killing Gila Monsters on site.

The truth is that Gila Monsters are venomous and can cause severe issues if they bite you from both the venom and their strong jaws.

However, they’re not aggressive and are very slow-moving, so it would be unlikely for you to be chased down by a Gila Monster and eaten.

There have been no fatalities from Gila Monsters after the 1930s; however, it will be painful if you’re bitten, and you may become very ill for several days.

3- Iguanas

Iguanas (subfamily Iguaninae) are among the common pet in the United States, and you’ll even be able to play with Iguanas in the resorts of Mexico.

All Iguanas are venomous, but none have a potent enough venom to cause any kind of problem to humans.

However, two Iguanas of note are large and can cause significant damage to humans through their strong jaws, serrated teeth, and sharp claws.

These are Green Iguana & Blue Iguana.

The Green Iguana can grow between 5 and 7 feet long and weigh over 20 lbs.

They are very passive and make a popular pet, but they can still cause damage if they bite or scratch you.

The Blue Iguana, on the other hand, is pretty aggressive regarding its territory.

It grows to 5 feet and weighs 30 lbs; you’ll only find it in the Grand Caymans.

On a slightly scary note, it can run up to 21 mph when it’s being aggressive.

4- Perentie

Perenties (Varanus giganteus) are the fourth largest lizard on earth, growing up to 8+ feet long and weighing up to 44 lbs.

They’re only native to the Australian outback, are very shy, and will hide from humans.

If cornered or you try to handle a Perentie, it stops being shy and becomes very aggressive.

It has a mighty jaw to clamp down on you, where it will also release venom into your system.

In addition, it can run up to 25 mph and has sharp claws and a tail that can whip into you and break your bones.

Perenties eat almost anything, including other lizards, and have been known to hunt and kill Kangaroos and Dingos.

When eating, they swallow whole, unless it’s too big, and then they rip chunks off to swallow.

5- Crocodile Monitor Lizard

Tree Crocodile or Crocodile Monitor Lizards (Varanus Salvadori) grow to 8 feet long and can weigh 44 lbs; however, sizes can vary significantly in this species.

They have a reputation for being aggressive and unpredictable, which is not good when they also have long, sharp teeth, sharp claws, and a tail that they use when attacking.

While Crocodile Monitor Lizards try to avoid humans, they will attack if provoked, and there have been reports of the venom they carry being strong enough to kill a human.

You’ll only find the Crocodile Monitor Lizard living natively in New Guinea.

6- The Mexican and Guatemalan Beaded Lizard

The Guatemalan and Mexican Beaded Lizards (Heloderma horridum) are larger than their cousin, the Gila Monster.

They can grow to 3 feet long and weigh up to 5 lbs.

These lizards are venomous and will clamp down on you and start chewing so they can get their venom into your better.

The venom isn’t potent, but it’s strong enough to have caused some deaths in humans due to respiratory issues.

So there may be another factor in what the lizard does to you or how its venom interacts with your system.

Either way, the bite is known to cause excruciating pain, lasting up to 24 hours.

There have only been eight bites from these lizards, all in captivity and caused by humans poking the lizard.

If you travel to Mexico or Guatemala, I recommend not to poke or prod one of these lizards.

FAQs

Can a lizard kill the snake?

A tiny lizard cannot kill big-sized snakes.

But if they are big deadly lizards, they can obviously kill snakes and can even eat their eggs.

Big lizards are carnivores.

They have a potent bite and are found to do it quite often in the woods, where they love to feed on small snakes, wild cats, birds, rabbits, and other rodents.

With that said, some deadly snakes like a cobra can be dangerous for lizards.

Sometimes, even though the lizard wins the fight with the snake, the snake’s poison can kill the lizard later if the snake has already bitten the lizard.

Can lizards kill each other?

Some lizards are very aggressive, and some species are known to feed on other lizards, including their own species.

Collared lizards, for example, are a species in the wild that will eat other lizards and that their main part of the diet besides insects and other meats.

But that’s usually the case in the wild. If you normally see the lizards fighting each other, it can actually be a form of lizard courtship.

If you happen to see lizards attacking each other or engaged in this behavior, do not try to separate or move them apart. It’s a normal part of their mating ritual and can cause harm to them.

The Conclusion

Most of the lizards on this list are not actively looking to attack humans.

However, they will attack (and possibly kill) if you try to handle them and interfere with them somehow.

Instead of getting a quick bite from fangs as you do with snakes, lizards will bite you with their teeth and then probably hang on to you.

The force of the larger lizard’s jaws clamping down on you will often cause compression damage.

So, you are getting physically damaged from the bite and venom seeping into your wound.

Depending on the size and type of lizard and how big and healthy you are, the venom can cause issues ranging from dizziness to death.

So, the general recommendation would be not to handle large dangerous lizards if you don’t want to be bitten.