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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Gila monster |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Reptilia |
| ORDER: |
Squamata |
| FAMILY: |
Helodermatidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Heloderma (studded skin) suspectum
(distrusted, suspicious) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Heavy
bodied lizard with reddish-orange or pink blotches
or bands on a black background; thick, fleshy tail
that is slightly shorter than the body; short powerful
limbs |
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| SIZE: |
Up
to 60 cm (24 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
1.3-2.25
kg (3-5 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Eggs,
young birds, mammals, and reptiles |
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| INCUBATION: |
28-30 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-7
eggs; laid in late July to mid-August |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
3-5 years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
20 years or more |
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| RANGE: |
Arid
southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico |
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| HABITAT: |
Primarily
occupy burrows |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No
data |
| CITES |
Appendix II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
The
Gila monster and its close relative, the Mexican
beaded lizard, are the only two venomous lizards
in the world. The venom glands are located in the
rear of the lower jaw. The venom is secreted through
grooved teeth. |
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| 2. |
Currently, there is not anti-venom for the Gila
monster bite. The venom is a neuro-toxin, paralyzing
respiratory systems. It is used almost exclusively
for defense, as their prey items are usually the
young of small species. |
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| 3. |
Gila monsters are diurnal but may spend as much
as 98% of their life underground in burrows. While
they are at home in the desert they need higher
humidity than other desert reptiles. |
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| 4. |
The
Gila monster is the largest lizard found in the
United States. |
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| 5. |
Gila
monsters have extremely long incubation periods,
one of the longest of all reptiles. Gila monsters
and Mexican beaded lizards are also the only lizard
in North America whose eggs incubate over the winter. |
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| 6. |
Juvenile
Gila monsters are known to eat up to 50% of their
body weight in one feeding, the adults may consume
up to 35% of their body weight. When eating such
large amounts they may have to only consume three
of these large meals a year. |
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Gila monsters play a pivotal role in the desert
ecology of the American southwest. By feeding
on the eggs or young of small desert inhabitants,
they are helping to control populations, which
in excess could cause an imbalance in the fragile
ecosystem. As with any small carnivore, venomous
or not, they are preyed on extensively by larger
predators.
Gila
monsters have been protected in both the United
States and Mexico for nearly 50 years. Their primary
threat is loss of habitat due to human encroachment,
especially urban sprawl. Gila monsters are also
villanized and persecuted because they are venomous.
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| Gotch,
A.F. Reptiles, Their Latin Names Explained.
New York: Blandford Press, 1986. |
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Mattison, Chris. Lizards of the World. New
York: Facts on File, Inc., 1989. |
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Rogner, Manfred. Lizards. Vol. 2. Malabar,
Florida: Krieger Publishing Co., 1994.
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California's Plants and Animals: Banded Gila Monster.
(n.d.); Retrieved February 17, 2002 from http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/jsp/more_info.jsp?specy=reptiles&idNum=14 |
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