The man was bitten on his hand after offering a wild lizard his bottle of water – and was forced to have his finger amputated after it clamped its jaws, refusing to let go
A man has lost finger after a lizard bit him while he was trying to give it water.
Jos Olimpio, a manual labourer, had offered the wild reptile a drink from his bottle when it suddenly lunged forward and sunk its teeth into his hand.
Its jaws stayed clamped on his fingers as colleagues desperately attempted to prize them open, with the man rushed to a local clinic once it had been released.
He underwent emergency surgery the same day, leading to one of his fingers being amputated.
The lizard was a black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae), considered the largest in Brazil.
Native to Central and South America, its body can reach around 50cm (20in), but some can grow up to two metres long (7ft). Tegus usually feed on insects, birds, rodents, amphibians, other lizards, eggs, fruit and leaves – and usually only attacks humans when it feels threatened.Explaining how the incident unfolded, Jefferson Marcelo, of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, said: “The animal went to where the leaves were specifically to protect itself from a potential predator.
“Even though the man was not there to prey on it, the animal doesn’t understand that distinction. “As the man got closer, it felt cornered, and when he came even closer, it ended up attacking. This is the natural behaviour of an animal that feels trapped and threatened.”
The biologist added: “People should avoid touching the animal, especially with their hands.
“If they want to leave food or water, it’s best to place it near the animal and step away, otherwise it won’t eat or drink. “If the animal appears, the best option is to call the fire brigade or environmental police.”
In late 2023, a viral video from Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, captured a local man attempting to toss an egg to a wild tegu lizard.
Instead of taking the offering, it aggressively lunged at the man’s hand – sparking warnings from local wildlife experts to avoid feeding the reptiles.
Christian Raboch Lempek, a biologist working for the Fujama environmental agency, said: “The lizard was used to being fed and got used to getting close to human beings, seeing them as sources of food. In this case, the animal ended up flying at the man’s hand.”
