A Colorado man who was placed on life support after he was bitten by his pet Gila monster died of complications from the desert lizard’s venom, an autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press on Friday confirmed.
The report also found that heart and liver problems were significant contributing factors in Christopher Ward’s death.
Ward, 34, was taken to a hospital shortly after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters on Feb. 12. His death less than four days later is believed to be the first from a Gila monster in the U.S. in almost a century.
The autopsy, conducted by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Feb. 18, said Ward was bitten for four minutes and wavered in and out of consciousness for about two hours before seeking medical attention. He suffered multiple seizures and acute respiratory failure at the hospital.
If you can house them outside, that makes them significantly more bearable, however, for most people, the green iguana is the worst reptile short of a highly venomous one you can possibly get as a pet.
They’re by far the most abandoned reptile, they’re filling up shelters for a reason, you can easily get one for free there because they regularly and randomly begin attacking people, due to their hormones changing as they age, they have weapons and like to use them.
They’re huge, have randomly shifting personalities, require an absolutely massive enclosure to properly house, and you have to be an expert-level keeper to keep an iguana properly.
Do watch the video and the channel, it’s worth your time, he’s a PHD herpetologist and makes excellent videos.
There are much better iguanas you can pick from as well, I’d personally much sooner get a rhino iguana. Much better than any iguana, a tegu, which is basically a lizard dog, which will even be affectionate!
If you do decide on an iguana as your final answer, please ensure that you’re rescuing one, there’s far far far too many available for rescue, because they are just horrible pets for the vast majority of people.