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Gila crustacean lizard (symbolic image)
Photo: Ted S. Warren / AP
A 34-year-old from the US state of Colorado has died after being bitten by a Gila lizard.
The man kept two of the poisonous reptiles as pets, reports The Denver Post and CNN, among others, citing authorities.
The American's girlfriend called the emergency number around a week and a half ago after she noticed that one of the lizards had bitten into the man's hand.
The man showed symptoms of poisoning, vomited, then fainted and his breathing stopped.
The 34-year-old was taken to hospital and placed on life support.
The man died four days after the bite.
The official cause of death is not yet known.
Did the man suffer from an underlying illness?
The bites of Gila lizards are considered very painful.
However, deaths are extremely rare.
Dale DeNardo from Arizona State University researches the animals, among other things.
A bite by the animals is "never a coincidence," he said, according to the AP.
“You have to mess with them.”
According to DeNardo, the last known death occurred around 1930.
The affected person had cirrhosis of the liver.
He suspects that it is similar in the current case and that “the person had an underlying illness that made them more vulnerable.”
There are no uniform rules for keeping Gila lizards in the USA.
It is permitted in parts of the USA, but requires approval or is prohibited elsewhere.
According to the AP news agency, a permit is required in Colorado, but it is only issued for zoological facilities.
The 34-year-old, who has now died, apparently kept his lizards illegally.
According to The Denver Post, the animals will be housed in an animal park.
bbr/AP