The Unique Green Blood Characteristics of Skinks Unveiled

Blood is universally recognized to be red; however, a unique species defies this traditional identification – New Guinea's prasinohaema skinks. These enigmatic lizards boast lime-green blood, a perplexing phenomenon that wasn't understood until recently. Their bright green blood and body tissues result from a high concentration of biliverdin, a waste product usually processed by the liver. In most animals, overwhelming levels of biliverdins are harmful and may even lead to jaundice. Nonetheless, these peculiar skinks seem utterly unaffected even though their levels exceed those seen in other animals, including humans, by 40 times or more. The discovery leads us back to 1969 when herpetologist Christopher Austin collected and began investigating these extraordinary creatures. Over decades of studying Prasinohaema (Greek for 'green blood'), Austin determined that the trait had emerged independently within the lizard tree about five times—suggesting potential advantages over classic red-blooded congeners. Despite extensive investigation into the skinks' DNA and physiology, much remains unknown regarding how they successfully manage such toxic blood composition without ill effect. Unraveling the genetic mystery behind these lizards' characteristics could present notable implications for human health, especially for conditions influencing concentrations of bile pigments like jaundice or malaria. Understanding why these unique reptiles remain unfazed might inform new treatment approaches bolstering resistance against diseases linked with elevated biliverdin levels.