Tokay Lizards: Possibly Holding the Key to Curing Cancer

Article by Kristin Vartanian of Med Book

Who’d have thought that a very noisy lizard could be useful for humans? Tokay geckos, aside from eating mosquitoes are good for medical research as well, apparently. Once they reach a certain age, body mass, and weight, a part of their body can be extracted and used as a possible cure for cancer.

Bad news is that people from all over the world are now hunting these lizards so that they can sell them for a very huge amount. People would just have to hope that these recent medical breakthrough does not drive them to extinction. But is there really a truth to this amazing medical breakthrough? That’s what everyone is asking but so far no solid announcements have been made and further tests are needed to conclude this theory.

If it is true though, it would be a very good discovery. But what if humans drive these animals to extinction because of its value? Would it still be amazing? Tokay geckos main source of food are mosquitoes, of course, knowing lizards, they eat mostly insects. Mosquitoes are a small but terrible pest as well; they carry diseases like the dengue fever and malaria. However, is it possible that in the future, due to the falling numbers of lizards, the number of these disease ridden insects grow larger in population? Will it be a risk that the human kind should take? Some people may call this the circle of life. Save humankind by killing one species that feed on annoying species that should be eliminated. It is a strange world out there. But most people hope that everybody else makes the right decision.