Gila Monster

Heloderma suspectum

The Gila (pronounced HEE-la) Monster is one of only two venomous lizards. (The other is the Mexican Beaded Lizard.) Gila Monsters return to the same feeding and wintering areas year after year. In spring the males engage in spectacular wrestling matches to gain access to females. The Gila Monster spends more than 90 percent of its time underground. It eats the eggs of birds and reptiles, nesting birds, and small mammals.

Look For : A large, stocky, slow-moving lizard with broad head, black snout, and sausage-shaped tail. Body covered with small round scales that look like tiny beads. Black with pattern of pink, orange, or yellow.

Length : 18-24".

Habitat : Desert scrub, rocky foothills, oak woodlands, canyons.

Range : Western Arizona and extreme southern Nevada.