GILA MONSTER By: Ms. S Emmett Louis Till Academy Third Grade Room 507

Anatomy Length: inches Weight: 3 lbs. It has a large head, large jaws, thick tail, four short legs, and five toed feet with sharp claws Gila (pronounced HEE-la) monsters have scaly, bead-like skin that is pink, yellow, and black When it is under trees or bushes it is camouflaged and when it is not, its red, pink, orange, and black colors are a warning to predators It is slow-moving

Habitat You can find Gila monsters in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chicuahuan deserts of Mexico You can also find them in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, and Utah They are solitary and live in desert and semidesert areas with just enough moisture to support a few shrubs They prefer rocky foothills and avoid open areas They are inactive much of the time, hiding in burrows or under rocks During cold winter months, Gila monsters stay in their burrows and have fat stores in their tails to keep them alive When spring comes, they begin to hunt again During the summer, the lizards only come out in the evening (they are nocturnal)

Diet Gila monsters eat small mammals like rats and mice They also eat centipedes, insects, worms, birds, and rabbits They even eat lizard, frog, and bird eggs To track prey, the Gila monster flicks its forked tongue out to pick up scent particles in the air These lizards are not very fast, so they need to sneak up on animals and bite them before they get away Gila monsters don’t chew their food, they just swallow it whole; however they do break open the eggs

Diet Gila monster saliva is venomous Most of the Gila monster’s teeth have two grooves that conduct the venom, a nerve toxin, from glands in the lower jaw. The toxin is not injected like that of the snake, but flows into the wound as the lizard chews on its victim. While the bite can overpower predators and prey, it is rarely fatal to humans. It has been reported that the Gila monster may flip over while its jaws are still clamped onto prey. This move may help its venom flow into the wound.

Predators Cats and dogs often kill the lizards and some are illegally collected for the pet trade To warn off potential predators, they will open their mouths very wide and hiss The venomous saliva of the Gila monster may be more useful as a defense against predators than for hunting, because most of the lizard’s prey is small enough to be subdued by the strength of the bite The Gila monster is afraid of large animals and people

Interesting Facts The Gila monster is the only poisonous lizard found in North America It is named after the Gila River Basin in Arizona A Gila monster can live months without food by living off fat stored in its tail Gila monster spit can be used to treat Type II diabetes

Interesting Facts It is illegal to collect, kill, or sell a Gila monster Its life span is about 20 years It is the largest lizard in the USA Gila monsters are rarely seen because they spend 90% of their time underground Because it stores nutritional fat in its tail, the tail can be either plump and rounded or short and shriveled up, depending on the season and health of the animal. It is afraid of humans, but will attack if persistently irritated by being picked up or cornered. When it does bite, it bites hard and hangs on with bulldog tenacity.

Interesting Facts Anyone bitten by a Gila monster should seek medical attention as soon as possible to clean and evaluate the wound which may have teeth imbedded in it. A tetanus shot will probably be advised.

What to do if you get bitten: Remove the lizard as quickly as possible If you have water available, a good tactic is to submerge the animal so that it will release its grip in order to breathe Other remedies include wrapping a towel or shirt around the animal’s head to frighten it into releasing the bite If all else fails, use a stick to pry the jaws open