Two endangered Mexican beaded lizards have hatched at Wroclaw Zoo in Poland, boosting the population of the venomous lizards.
The zoo said the lizards, which are difficult to breed in captivity, hatched in late February at its terrarium, where the eggs had been kept in an incubator since an adult female laid them in August.
Zoo spokeswoman Joanna Kij said they are still being kept from the public’s view and keepers have not yet determined their sex.
In Mexico, the venomous, medium-sized lizards are killed because they are considered very dangerous, but the zoo experts said they only use venom in self-defence.
Popular Mexican belief also says they can provoke lightning with their tails.
Adult males can grow to 90 centimetres (35in) and weigh up to 4kg (9lbs).
Three Mexican beaded lizards previously hatched at the zoo in 2016 and were transferred to Singapore Zoo in 2018.
