Are Lizard Bites Dangerous?

A lizard bite is nothing to fear, and this western green lizard is simply yawning

The bite of all lizards native to Europe is completely harmless to humans. Wild lizards do not bite humans on their own initiative unless they are caught and held in the hand; it is understandable that they then bite in mortal fear. Such a bite is neither poisonous nor painful; most lizards only have minuscule teeth that can hardly be felt.

The tiny teeth in the mouth of this lizard (a common wall lizard) are barely visible

Of course, it can never be completely ruled out that bacteria that the lizard carries on or in itself will penetrate any pre-existing small wounds or scratches in the skin, or that allergy sufferers will react particularly sensitively, but this risk is very low (or certainly no greater than with an insect bite or small skin injuries caused by normal gardening).

In any case, nobody needs to be afraid of lizards - on the contrary: they are beautiful animals that are extremely useful in the garden because they also have slugs on their menu. Unfortunately, they have become rare in many places, and you can help them by consciously leaving your garden in a natural state or making it reptile-friendly (you can see how to do this here).

Western green lizard basking on a woodpile in my garden

Cute western green lizard peeking through the lavender in my garden

In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here