A man suffered a finger amputation after a lizard bit him while he was attempting to offer it water. Jos Olimpio, a manual laborer, extended his water bottle to the wild reptile, which unexpectedly attacked and bit his hand. Despite efforts by colleagues to release the lizard’s jaws, Olimpio had to undergo emergency surgery, resulting in the amputation of one of his fingers.
The lizard involved in the incident was identified as a black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae), known as the largest species in Brazil. Native to Central and South America, tegus can grow up to two meters in length and typically consume insects, birds, rodents, amphibians, other lizards, eggs, fruit, and leaves. They rarely pose a threat to humans unless they feel threatened.
Jefferson Marcelo from the Federal University of Mato Grosso explained that the lizard’s behavior was a response to feeling cornered and threatened when Olimpio approached it. Marcelo advised individuals to avoid direct contact with such animals and to leave food or water near them instead to prevent conflicts.
In a separate incident in late 2023 in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, a video captured a man trying to feed an egg to a wild tegu lizard, which aggressively attacked his hand. Wildlife experts warned against feeding wild reptiles as it can lead to dangerous interactions. Christian Raboch Lempek, a biologist at the Fujama environmental agency, emphasized that feeding wildlife can habituate them to humans, resulting in unexpected aggressive behavior.