Environmental projects in Guatemala are trying to save a venomous lizard on the verge of extinction, which they call the “Nino Dormino” (sleeping little one), because of its slow movement and heavy energy.
Juan Alvarado, a forest ranger with the National Council of Protected Areas, handles the lizard cleverly to avoid any bite, because its venom causes great pain, although it is rarely fatal.
The purpose of capturing the lizard, which belongs to the species Heloderma charlesbugerty, is to provide shelter in a local regional park.
The lizard, with its dark skin imprinted with white dots and light yellow rings, lay on the ground, slowly navigating through the wooded landscape of the Motagua River Valley, in the middle of the Sierra de las Minas Nature Reserve.
Juan Alvarado points out that this type of animal has always been a victim of the fear that residents feel towards it because of its poison and the proliferation of fairy tales that made it a bad omen.
Alvarado has devoted his life 17 years to protecting species classified as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
These lizards, which are between 20 and 40 centimeters long, feed mainly on eggs and young birds, have been subjected to smuggling to European countries that treat them as pets.
And the forest ranger pointed out that “the Europeans were paying up to two thousand dollars for this animal,” according to “AFP”.
And Juan Alvarado explains that the lizard’s venom and the bacteria present in its saliva are currently undergoing scientific studies with the aim of discovering potential medicinal properties against diabetes and cancer.
Twenty years ago, this species numbered 200, while the authorities today indicate that there are an estimated 600 large lizards living in the wild, most of which are tracked using electronic chips.
Residents are now bringing lizards found in inhabited areas to the reserve, as a result of an environmental education program based on the idea of families receiving food aid in exchange for bringing animals to the reserve.
Helioderma charlespogerti lizards are still suffering from the destruction of their habitat due to the expansion of agricultural areas and the outbreak of fires in the forests, in addition to the effects of climate change.