Animal Fact Sheet
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Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
What does it look
like?
The gila monster is a stout-bodied lizard with a blunt head and
an extraordinary thick tail. It has small beadlike scales across
its back. It grows 18 to 24 inches in length and can weigh up to
3 pounds. It can have broken blotches, bars, spots or black and
yellow, pink or orange with bands extending onto the tail.
CAUTION! The gila monster is one of only
two known venomous lizards. Its venomous cousin goes by the name
of Mexican Beaded Lizard.
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| Where
are they found?
There are two subspecies of the gila monster in the deserts of the
Southwest: Reticulate Gila Monster
resides primarily in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Adults
are mottled and blotched. Banded Gila Monster
resides primarily in the Mojave Desert. Adults have a broad double
cross band.
What are some behaviors?
The gila monster is a venomous lizard but it is not aggressive.
However, it will defend itself if approached too closely. In this
case, it will warn you by opening its mouth wide and hissing. Most
of the gila monster’s teeth have two grooves that conduct
the venom, a nerve toxin, from glands in the lower jaw. The venom
is not injected like that of a snake but flows into the wound as
the lizard chews on its victim. Gila monsters are rarely seen because
they spend most of their lives underground. During the summer, they
are underground in order to avoid the heat and during the winter
months they hibernate. They hunt at night or in the early morning.
What about offspring?
Gila monsters mate throughout the summer months, with the female
laying 3-15 eggs in the last summer. The young are 3.5 to 4.5 inches
long and reach adult size in 1-3 years. |
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What do they eat?
The gila monster loves to eat bird and reptile eggs. They also eat
nesting birds, small mammals, frogs and lizards. They rarely use
their venom to kill their prey. They track their prey by flicking
their forked tongue to taste the trail of scent particles left by
the prey. An adult is capable of eating 35% of their body weight
and a young gila monster can devour as much as 50% of their body
weight.
Is it threatened
or endangered?
Agricultural expansion has encroached upon their habitat. This habitat
destruction coupled with animals being taken out of the wild for
pet trade has really threatened the existence of this incredible
animal. |
