Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Lizard bite

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was delete. Sandstein 15:26, 13 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Lizard bite

(Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL)

Subject does not warrant an individual article. Just because a type of animal has a venomous bite doesn't mean we need an article on it. Most sources online talk solely about how to treat lizard bites, not lizard bites themselves. Delete. Mr. Guye (talk) 22:45, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Environment-related deletion discussions. Mr. Guye (talk) 22:47, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Medicine-related deletion discussions. Mr. Guye (talk) 22:47, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Science-related deletion discussions. Mr. Guye (talk) 22:48, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Strong Keep. Incredibly, I have no idea of how the treatment of lizard bite will be treated without talking about "lizard bite" and its venon. However, lizard bite has been the subject of multiple independent reliable sources and therefore meet our primary inclusion criteria. Emphatically, it passes WP:GNG. Wikic¤l¤gy^{t@lk to M£} 01:09, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Delete. There seems no reason at all to treat lizard bites as distinct from other bites. The ICD codes given don't - they lump lizards in with other herps, the snakes. If this is an article, it should be merged into snakebite. Andy Dingley (talk) 01:24, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Delete - Although there's nothing mentioned as such there is a section at Lizard#Relationship with humans which mentions the bite being painful so there's not really any need for this article. –Davey2010^Talk 01:47, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Comment:. There tend to be big ecological differences between snakes and lizards. Snakebite and Lizard bite are not the same. Both may produce similar venon but the source of the venoms are not the same. I agreed that Lizard venom has much in common with snake venom, and that the venom production apparatus in lizards and snakes are related, but has developed in different directions. Gila and beaded lizards (the poisonous lizards) mainly use venom to defend themselves, while snakes use their venom to attack prey. Wikic¤l¤gy^{t@lk to M£} 02:10, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Redirect Lizard#Relationship with humans (talks about aggressive lizard behaviours in the first paragragh, which is one kinda related ___location) or Animal bite (more general, as a medical ailment). 野狼院ひさし u/t/c 04:45, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Lizards bite plenty of other creatures besides humans; typically, they bite their prey. This should not be seen as a purely medical topic. Andrew D. (talk) 12:45, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Keep The bite of Varanoidea such as the komodo dragon, is quite unlike that of a typical venomous snake. They have teeth and may kill by trauma or by infecting with toxic bacteria. I recall seeing an interesting documentary on the subject and have no trouble finding detailed coverage in sources such as this. The current draft is obviously a weak stub but it is our policy to improve these rather than deleting them. Andrew D. (talk) 12:42, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

AIUI, that type of bite is specific to the Komodo dragon (as the only one of comparable size, and yet relatively small compared to the large prey it will take). It's certainly a distinct form of attack ("injure and wait"), but even that would be better in the species article, not in a vague article on "lizard bite". Lizard bite is both too broad, and insufficiently distinct. Non-toxic and non-venomous bites from lizards are no different than those of non-venomous snakes. Gila monster bites are specific to the heloderms, and don't have a real envenomation mechanism. The Komodo dragon is an outlier amongst other lizards. Andy Dingley (talk) 13:31, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Delete. As noted by Andy Dingley, the ICD codes provided are not unique to injuries caused by lizards (they are primarily snakebite codes). I particularly object to keeping the article on the grounds of the komodo dragon's purported "injure and wait" disease-inflicting bite, because current scholarship has roundly rejected the idea that komodo dragons are especial disease vectors in this manner (earlier evidence of pathogen load in their saliva was the result of feeding on non-native water buffalo in feces-fouled water). Just because an animal can bite does not mean a specific animal bite article is warranted. Squeamish Ossifrage (talk) 16:08, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, sst ✈ 10:36, 5 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Delete, essentially per Squeamish Ossifrage, above. But without prejudice to recreation if an extremely well sourced article can be demonstrated. — Cirt (talk) 12:58, 12 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Delete - Not sure why this would get its own article, but agree with Cirt's assessment above.Onel5969 ^{TT me} 13:09, 13 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.