Probably your home, yard, field, or zoo is full of wall geckos and you wonder whether these reptiles are a source of food. Can they be eaten?
Can Wall Geckos cause food poisoning or be poisonous when eaten by humans or carnivores? So, is wall gecko poisonous if eaten?
The simple answer is NO! Wall Gecko is not poisonous to humans or other animals when eaten. The meat from the Wall Gecko is non-toxic (has no toxins) and is safe for human consumption.
However, there are some parts of Wall Gecko that should not be eaten e.g. skin and mouth-part. These sections are known to house pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella, which multiply rapidly and cause food poisoning when eaten.
[amazon bestseller=”Best Food for Geckos” items=”2″ template=”table”]Details: Is Wall Gecko Poisonous If Eaten?
The Wall Gecko is safe and edible reptile that does not cause any harm to human beings when eaten. Their meat does not have toxins and can also be eaten by other carnivores without causing any food poisoning.
However, the mouth-part and skin of wall Gecko house the salmonella bacteria and pathogens that may cause food poisoning when eaten.
1. What to eat in wall Gecko
The Wall Gecko can be eaten by humans, your pets such as cats and dogs as well as other carnivores. However, not all parts of Wall Gecko can be eaten. You will need to be cautious when killing the Wall Gecko as it can bite (mild bite) and instill pain. The following are some of the parts that are preferably eaten.
- The body meat. Once you kill your Wall Lizard, peel of the skin (this can be used to make drum as in Thailand) and dissect it to get body meat. The body meat (somatic) it best to feed on since it’s soft and tender. This meat does not contain any toxins that may cause food poisoning. The Meat from the Wall Gecko may not be that big, like goat or cow, so, you will need to be precise while slicing. Take care of bones as they should be separated from steak meat.
- The Internal organs. The internal organs such as lungs, heart, kidneys and intestines. Organs like heart and kidneys are very small and may not be substantial to eat. Intestines need to be cleaned thoroughly before boiling them to kill any bacteria that may be in the digestive track. Care should be put into place when handling the liver not to damage the gall bladder (it contains the bile juice, which may poison the meat).
- The Bones. Bones can be boiled to form marrowbone soup which when added some spices becomes very delicious. Before boiling, the bone skin (limb bones) must be removed as well as cleaning thoroughly the toe-webbed skin – the skin houses a lot of bacteria and pathogens which lead to food poisoning. You can pass the limbs over the fire (grill) to dry the skin fully before boiling.
Nevertheless, you should not eat any of these parts of Wall Gecko:
- The skin. Ensure to dissect the Wall Gecko’s skin perfectly well to detach it with body meat completely. This prevents the meat from being contaminated with the pathogens and bacteria that may be housed in the skin. Never eat the Wall Gecko’s skin since the salmonella bacteria found in it will be transfer with the meat to your digestive track causing food poisoning. Moreover, the bacteria and pathogens on the skin multiply very fast.
- The mouthpart. The mouth of Wall Gecko is known to house variety of pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella. These bacteria hide in the teeth gaps, under the tongues, in the air sack region, on the palate and even along the throat. Normally, these bacteria cause infections when lizards bite you. When killing the Wall Gecko, it is advisable to get rid of the mouthpart completely or heat-treat it with high temperature (above 110 degree centigrade) to eliminate any living bacteria or pathogens.
- The Toes. The toes of Wall Gecko are partially webbed. The tip of the toes have crawls that provides a suitable hideout of bacteria and pathogens. It is difficult to remove these bacteria due to the coiling of the crawls. It is therefore necessary to cut of these sections. In case you must feed on them, carry out thorough cleaning and heat treatment.
2. How to cook Wall gecko.
Before you cook meat from a Wall Gecko, ensure that you clean it with warm water thoroughly to remove any contamination that may come from the skin. The body meat should be slice into sizable piece that can be handled using a fork.
You can roast, boil or fry the body meat from the Wall Gecko. Do not overcook when boiling (5 to15 minutes are enough) since the meat breaks easily into watery soup.
The Wall Gecko body meat is best when fried or roasted at a lower temperature (lesser than boiling temperature).
Before boiling the Wall Gecko bones for soup, it is important to preheat them (steam or fry slightly) to kill any bacteria or pathogens that may get into soup. Ensure that you spice your soup to make it more delicious.
3. Poisonous parts of wall gecko
The skin and the mouthpart of the Wall Gecko are poisonous. They house pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella, which multiply rapidly and cause food poisoning when eaten. The Skin contain scales that offers options for bacteria hideouts.
The mouth provides optimal environment for growth and multiplication of bacteria such as salmonella and other pathogens. These microorganisms hide under the tongue, in the teeth gaps, on the palate and throat too. They cause food poisoning and infection in case you are bitten.
The toes of Wall Gecko have short curved crawls at the tip. These parts house and incubate the disease causing pathogens and bacteria.
4. Precautions when eating Gecko.
In case you would like to eat your Walk Gecko, it is necessary to observe the following precaution as a way of preventing food poisoning that may occur.
- Wash your Wall Gecko thoroughly with hot water after killing it (to remove and kill bacteria and pathogens). You can crap off the scale using a knife or any sharp object.
- Clean the body meat thoroughly after slaughtering your Wall Gecko to remove any trace of germs or bacteria.
- When slaughtering your Wall Gecko, check keenly on the gall bladder to prevent it from rapturing/damage (the bile juice will poison the meat making it unsuitable for human consumption).
- Remove webbed toes of the Wall Gecko carefully and throw them away.
- Never eat the mouthpart of the Wall Gecko – it contains pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella, which cause food poisoning. Throw away the mouthpart.
- You can involve the veterinary to check the health status of the Wall Gecko before eating.
- Burry the leftovers of the Wall Gecko meat or grind them into soft powder. It is not good to give your dog or cats plan bones from the Wall Lizards. The bones are sharp and when swallowed affect their digestive track.
How Do You Keep Wall Gecko As Pet?
Wall Gecko are cold-blooded (ectotherms) reptiles and thus need special care. As a Pet, Wall Gecko needs a cage that is well aerated and spacious. Access to water and food without strain is important. You can use bowls and shall water cans which the Wall Gecko cannot tend to swim in.
Provide a warm pod where your Pet Wall Gecko can swim in at will. Normally, Wall Gecko will walk or run on water unlike other species of lizards such as Marine Iguanas and Komodo dragon.
Wall Gecko loves climbing on walls and branches, try piles stones in the cage and cross some branches (you can place some logs) to offer alternatives for climbing.
Ensure you warm the cage during the night to keep your pet active in case your cage is under a roof where there is no direct sunlight.
Wall Geckos can easily climb out of the roof, kindly ensure that you place some stop barriers such as extended flat tops. Feed your Wall Gecko, just like leopard geckos, 2 to 3 times in a day. This will make it active and friendlier always.
Carnivores such as cats and dogs can feed on the Wall Gecko. Ensure you keep such pets away from the cage where your pet Wall Gecko is housed. Moreover, wall gecko may have some of the infectious pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella, which can infect your humans and other pets.
Make sure that you seek frequent medical checkup from your veterinary to ensure that your Wall Gecko pet is healthy always. Do not overfeed you Wall Gecko as this may cause it to generate unusual obesity, which may lead to locomotion problems or get inactive.
Which Animals Can Eat Wall Gecko?
Wall Gecko is highly hunt due to its edibility and defenseless lifestyle. The reptile rarely fight back. Instead, it escapes by running away. Though Wall Gecko can bite in case it lacks refuge, the bite isn’t intense.
However, these bites are infectious since the mouth of Wall Gecko is habited with numerous pathogens and bacteria such as salmonella.
Apart from human beings who hunt them from meat, Wall Gecko are eaten carnivores such as cats, dogs, crocodiles, snakes and large lizards such as Komodo dragons and Breaded lizards as flesh.
These carnivores swallow the Wall Gecko alive while others may slice it before feeding. Wall Gecko does not poison the carnivores. There is no case that has been reported of an animal that died after feeing on Wall Gecko.
Conclusion
Wall Geckos are safe and harmless reptiles whose meat does not poison either human beings or carnivores. The meat do not contain toxins that may lead to food poisoning.
However, the skin and mouthpart of Wall Gecko contain pathogens and harmful bacteria, which may cause food poisoning and therefore should not be eaten. Proper care and precautions should be taken when preparing a Wall Gecko meat for a meal.