Gila Monster

gilamonsterbg: Gila MonsterCOMMON NAME: Gila Monster

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Heloderma suspectum

DESCRIPTION:

VENOMOUS

NOTE:
It is illegal to posses a gila monster without a permit.

The gila monster and the related Mexican beaded lizard are the only known venomous lizards. The venom of the gila monster is not injected, but flows into the open wounds of its prey as it is chewed. The gila monster is a large and heavy bodied lizard, 18 to 24 inches in length, with small bead-like scales on the back. Their pattern varies from broken blotches, or bars, spots of black and yellow, pink, or orange with bands that extend onto its blunt tail. The thickness of the tail indicates the amount of stored fat.

LIFE HISTORY:

Gila monsters may mate any time throughout the summer and lay 3 to 5 eggs that hatch 120 days later. Hatchlings are 4 to 6 inches long.

ECOLOGY:

Niche: It eats lizards, small rodents, birds, and their eggs.

Habitat: Generally nocturnal, the gila monster lives in arid regions with gravely sandy soils especially with shrubs and some moisture. It burrows under rocks and shrubs or uses the burrows of other animals.

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