With its sharp claws, scaly skin, and venomous bite, Guatemala’s “sleeping baby” lizard has earned few humanitarians.
One of them, ranger Juan Alvarado, has spent the last 17 years of his life trying to save the much-maligned creature from extinction.
Alvarado, 68, works in a forest sanctuary in Guatemala’s Zacapa department dedicated to saving the Guatemalan pearl lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti), nicknamed Nino Dormido (sleeping child) by locals because of its lethargic gait.
He expertly handles a specimen rescued from a nearby village, deftly holding its head and body and gently laying it on the ground.
Apparently amazed, the lizard sneaks away into the undergrowth.
“They used to say if you see a heloderma, you’re dead,” Alvarado said of the reptile’s bad reputation.
While the lizard has a painful bite, it is rarely fatal to people who nonetheless view it as a mortal enemy.
Projects to save the creature include encouraging villagers to bring lost specimens to the park — sometimes in exchange for food.
Its venom, Alvarado explained, is being studied for possible use in curing diseases like diabetes and cancer.
Still, the creature has a fearsome reputation, and individuals who stray into human-inhabited areas are often killed.
The number of sleeping baby lizards has been further depleted by human encroachment on their shrinking habitat, climate change, and capture for sale as exotic pets.
At one point, they could fetch as much as $2,000 apiece in Europe, Alvarado said.
Given the multitude of threats, Guatemalan conservation officials estimate there are only about 600 individuals left in the world — up from 200 two decades ago.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the lizard as vulnerable.
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