Lizard as a psychedelic fauna: a systematic review of published cases

ABSTRACT

Background

The ingestion of various animals with psychoactive properties has been observed since antiquity. Though unusual, lizard use has been reported in the literature as case reports. Yet the rarity of this phenomenon has not been explored through large-scale studies. This paper systematically reviews available case reports of individuals using lizards for recreational purposes and synthesizes the evidence in terms of socio-demographic, clinical, and treatment variables.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature including original papers, case reports, case series, and letters to the editor on MEDLINE and Taylor & Francis database. The search terms used were lizard AND (addiction OR psychedelic OR psychoactive). Additionally, bibliographies of published cases were searched for an exhaustive review.

Results

Eight case reports (from seven publications) were included for qualitative synthesis. The sample consisted of all males (age = 28 ± 8.97). Findings revealed that the lizards were self-acquired and consumed through varied methods. Ingestion was reported usually as pleasure-inducing, though without any prominent withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, it was highly concurrent with other substances.

Conclusion

The finding indicates that using lizards for recreational purposes is a covert and underreported practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychedelic fauna
• psychoactive fauna
• psychedelic
• lizards use
• unconventional substance use

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.