As the name might suggest, the Gila (pronounced HEE-la) monster has one of the worst reputations in the reptile world. Unlike snakes, which inject venom, Gilas latch onto victims and chew to allow neurotoxins to move through grooves in their teeth and into the open wound.Gilas are lethargic creatures that feed primarily on eggs raided from nests and newborn mammals.

The largest lizards in the United States, Gila monsters can measure up to about 22 inches (56 centimeters) in tota…

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/g/gila-monster

It has been accused of many things, such as spitting venom, leaping several feet in the air to attack, stinging with its tongue, and killing people with gusts of poisonous breath.

Learn about several types of turtles and lizards—such as gila monsters, snapping turtles, and Komodo dragons—that are capable of harming humans. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC.

Although celebrated as one of Arizona’s most recognized animals, Gila monsters are physiologically ill adapted for the Sonoran Desert. At a length of up to two feet and a maximum weight exceeding five pounds, the venomous Gila monster (pronounced HEE-luh) is the largest lizard native to the United States.Easily identified by their black bodies marked with dramatic patterns of pink, orange, or yellow, Gilas are found in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico.

They take their name from Arizona's Gila River basin, where they were first discovered.The Gila monster is one of only a handful of venomous lizards in the world. Were glad youre reading th…

By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In the northern subspecies, the banded Gila monster, the light markings generally form an unbroken band across the back. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! All rights reserved What's in a name?

WATCH: Desert Monster Tries to Survive in the American Southwest Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.During warm weather the Gila monster feeds at night on small Gila monster, (Heloderma suspectum), one of two species of North American venomous lizards in the genus Heloderma of the family Helodermatidae.

They may spend more than 95 percent of their lives in underground burrows, emerging only to feed and occasionally to bask in the desert sun.

Its venom is a fairly mild neurotoxin.

And though a Gila bite is extremely painful, none has resulted in a reported human death.

Gila monsters are black, patterned along their backs with contrasting pink or orange. They produce venom in glands of the lower jaw and channel it along grooves in the teeth for secretion. In the southern subspecies, the reticulated Gila monster, the light markings are broken up to form a reticulated pattern.

They can store fat in their oversized tails and are able to go months between meals.Gila populations are shrinking due primarily to human encroachment, and they are considered a threatened species.The colorful Gila monster is threatened by increasingly hot and dry weather.

Once a Gila monster bites, it generally holds on …

Curator Emeritus, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

The Gila monster (H. suspectum) was named for the Gila River basin and occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.It grows to about 50 cm (about 20 inches), is stout-bodied with black and pink blotches or bands, and has beadlike scales. Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) Gila Monsters are one of only two venomous lizards in the world!

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