No, orange headed lizards are not poisonous.
What you have possibly seen is an orange headed Agama lizard or Orange-headed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus). They have a body size of 3.5 to 5.5 inches are stocky with a tail longer than its head and body. It has large and spiny dorsal scales on a back which is light in color with dark crossbars and flecks, some have yellow scales. On the side of its neck it has black triangular-shaped marks. Ear openings are partially covered with long, pointed scales. Its most distinctive feature is, of course, its orange head.
Males have a deep blue patch on the throat and dark blue patches, edged in black, running down the sides of the belly and joining to cover the groin. In females, the blue throat and belly patches are weak or absent.
There are more than 2,500 different kinds of lizards throughout the world, yet only two are actually poisonous. The only two poisonous lizards in the world are the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) of the south western United States and the beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) of Mexico. Their venom, or poison, can theoretically kill a human; however, the lizards are much less effective at getting the poison into their victims than are the poisonous snakes. The venom of the Gila monster and beaded lizard is not usually deadly but they can inflict extremely painful bites due to powerful jaws.
Most lizard species are harmless to humans. Only the largest lizard species, the Komodo dragon, which reaches 3.3 meters (11 feet) in length and weighs up to 166 kg (365 pounds), has been known to stalk, attack, and, on occasion, kill humans. An eight year old Indonesian boy died from blood loss after an attack in 2007.
What you have possibly seen is an orange headed Agama lizard or Orange-headed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus). They have a body size of 3.5 to 5.5 inches are stocky with a tail longer than its head and body. It has large and spiny dorsal scales on a back which is light in color with dark crossbars and flecks, some have yellow scales. On the side of its neck it has black triangular-shaped marks. Ear openings are partially covered with long, pointed scales. Its most distinctive feature is, of course, its orange head.
Males have a deep blue patch on the throat and dark blue patches, edged in black, running down the sides of the belly and joining to cover the groin. In females, the blue throat and belly patches are weak or absent.
There are more than 2,500 different kinds of lizards throughout the world, yet only two are actually poisonous. The only two poisonous lizards in the world are the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) of the south western United States and the beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) of Mexico. Their venom, or poison, can theoretically kill a human; however, the lizards are much less effective at getting the poison into their victims than are the poisonous snakes. The venom of the Gila monster and beaded lizard is not usually deadly but they can inflict extremely painful bites due to powerful jaws.
Most lizard species are harmless to humans. Only the largest lizard species, the Komodo dragon, which reaches 3.3 meters (11 feet) in length and weighs up to 166 kg (365 pounds), has been known to stalk, attack, and, on occasion, kill humans. An eight year old Indonesian boy died from blood loss after an attack in 2007.
