Picking Up and Holding Lizards
There are many reasons you may, at one point or another,
need to pick up and hold a lizard. Some
reasons are cutting the claws, force-feeding, removing
skin, and for treatment of illnesses.
Holding Small or Medium Lizards
Make sure to grasp the lizard quickly when taking hold
of them. They can be very quick, and grasping any other
part of the body can potentially be damaging. Hold the
head of the
lizard between your thumb
and forefinger, making sure they can not turn their head
to bite. Only use as much force as necessary, as these
creatures can be fragile. With this hold, it lets you
hold the front legs between your other fingers as well.
With your other hand, place your palm on the lizards back.
With your fingers, hold the rear legs and point them towards
the tail of the lizard. This way, the lizard can not bite
and/or scratch you, and can not whip around.
Holding Large Lizards
Two people should always be present when picking up and
holding large
lizards. The first person
should grasp the lizards tail with their dominant hand,
and the neck with their non-dominant hand. If the lizard
is aggressive, or just too large, the tail should also
be held between your legs. The second person should apply
treatment or whatever needs to be done.