Oils extracted from the 'Dhab' or the spiny tailed lizard are believed to cure various ailments including muscular and joint pain, and is also believed to be an aphrodisiac. The spiny-tail lizard is hunted on a large scale in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. An official with the Pakistan Wildlife Foundation, Waseem Ahmed, tells Dawn: “There is no reality in the benefits of the oil of spiny-tail lizard since its fats are no different from that of any other reptile or animal.”
