Recent research has shown bearded dragons to be venomous. They may not be dangerous, but still they are venomous.. According to Dr. Bryan Greg Fry (www.venomdoc.com), the evolution of venom predated the evolution of some snakes;



"The venom gland was developed right at the very base of this tree, long before any of the 'colubrids' even showed up. Consequently, the vast majority of the advanced snakes are venomous, including most of the snakes typically thought of as non-venomous." Dr. Fry (see pic below)



- http://www.venomdoc.com/images/Colubroidea_phylogeny2.jpg



"This origin of venom is so far back, that it occurred before the snakes we commonly think of as 'non-venomous' even showed up on the tree of life. We even isolated from a ratsnake the typical cobra-style neurotoxin, belonging to a toxin family called 3FTx (three-finger toxins) that is the signature of elapid venoms This toxin, which we named alpha-colubritoxin, is as potent as comparative elapid neurotoxins. Like the elapid toxins, it blocks the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. What this does is stops the nerve signal from being able to cause the muscle fibre to twitch. No signal = no movement = couch potato. We've subsequently found these toxins in pretty much every 'colubrid' species we've looked at, showing that this toxin type is one of the oldest and that being venomous is the inherent condition of the advanced snakes.



Analysis of the venoms from as many different lineages as we could get our hands on showed that the 'colubrid' snake venoms are by and large just as complex as the elapid or viper venoms." Dr Fry



- http://www.venomdoc.com/toxin_molecular_evolution.html



So.. that would mean that all reptiles except old world pythons will soon be banned in North Carolina?



regards

oby

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