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I want to know is there a recreational drug that specifically affect reptiles, either natural or man made chemicals. Humans and if possible other animals species should not be affected by it even if they use or eat it, for example something like catnip or silver vine for cat.

I want a drug specifically for my reptilefolk or lizardfolk.

If possible include how to apply or use it and the effect or the side effect, since I do see some discussion in other sites about how a silver vine that is being used or snorted like meth by the catfolk species in someone's work is inaccurate.

And I've never used recreational drugs, so I don't know much about how to use them in general.

Usual or common recreational drugs for humans are out of the question.

Feel free to fix my grammar or edit the tags since I am not sure which tags are appropriate for this.

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    $\begingroup$ There used to be stories of people doing DMT and seeing lizard people lol maybe theres something behind that. I know people that think their pet lizard or snake reacts to a bit of passive cannabis smoking, not sure how true that is. $\endgroup$
    – user69935
    May 27, 2020 at 12:20
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    $\begingroup$ There's nothing to stop one existing, but I doubt there's ever been much research into making them. Unless you want to go deep into the biology of how it affects the reptile brain then you can probably just give it a cool name and leave it there. $\endgroup$
    – David258
    May 27, 2020 at 12:21
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    $\begingroup$ @David258 Lizard Synthetic Drug seems an apt one $\endgroup$
    – L.Dutch ♦
    May 27, 2020 at 12:22
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    $\begingroup$ Our society don't quite have the pressures to make such drugs, so you could explore this in your own story (reptiles have cannabioid receptors so a variant of Marijuana could work) $\endgroup$
    – ProjectApex
    May 27, 2020 at 12:26
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    $\begingroup$ We need more questions like this. $\endgroup$
    – The Square-Cube Law
    May 27, 2020 at 13:24

2 Answers 2

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2,4 dinitrophenol and chemical endothermy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-Dinitrophenol

In living cells, DNP acts as a proton ionophore, an agent that can shuttle protons (hydrogen cations) across biological membranes. It dissipates the proton gradient across mitochondria membranes, collapsing the proton motive force that the cell uses to produce most of its ATP chemical energy. Instead of producing ATP, the energy of the proton gradient is lost as heat.[3]… Although DNP is widely considered too dangerous for clinical use, its mechanism of action remains under investigation as a potential approach for treating obesity.[14] As of 2015, research is being conducted on uncoupling proteins naturally found in humans.[15]

2,4 DNP raises metabolic rate. This is true for our species and I think all eukaryotes - this study used it to investigate metabolism in diving turtles and it was long used as an herbicide so it works in plants. It was sold in the 1930s as a weight loss pill and it works. People still use it today to lose fat fast. When people die from 2,4 DNP, it is from uncontrollable hyperthermia.

Your reptiles use it to free themselves from temperature dependent metabolism. By artificially revving up their metabolism they become hot, fast and smart. It is a great drug for an ectothermic reptile - and maybe an indispensable one for cold climates.

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    $\begingroup$ I think I remember a variation or something similar to this 1,2,3 di- something being in pre-workout drinks until they banned it. $\endgroup$
    – user69935
    May 27, 2020 at 14:53
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No but you could invent one

There has been research into this field but nothing definitive. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery notes that "There are no safety or efficacy studies on the use of any psychoactive drugs for behavioral medicine treatment in reptiles." Later, Mader's offers a more detailed explanation.

The role of monoamine neurotransmitters (among other neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and hormones, such as the melanophore-stimulating hormone) in emotional processes and behavior responses is still unclear for reptiles, making it difficult to make a case for the use of psychoactive medication for the class Reptilia at this time.

This doesn't mean that such a drug can't exist. So feel free to invent it in your world.

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    $\begingroup$ I recall Cinnamon or Ginger being an effective recreational drug for aliens in (I think) Harry Turtledove's Worldwar. So inventing could be simply a redeployment of an existing thing, perhaps a common item that suddenly gains a new use. This could even be a plot point. allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Alien_Catnip $\endgroup$
    – Criggie
    May 28, 2020 at 2:35

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