Psyco S.C

Scientific Name: Heloderma suspectum

Classification:
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Reptilia
Order - Squamata
Family - Helodermatidae

The Gila monster is one of only two surviving species of venomous lizards that once roamed the earth 30-40 million years ago. The Gila Monster's family name was derived from the Greek word helos, which means decorative stud and derma means skin. The common name, Gila Monster, is derived from the Gila River Basin in Arizona, where the Gila Monster is found. It is found throughout he southwestern United States and northern Mexico. There are two types of the Gila Monster, the Banded Gila Monster and the Reticulates Gila Monster. The Gila Monster grows to about 20 inches in length, has beadlike scales and black and pink bands or splotches. It typically weights three to five pounds.

Behavior:
The Gila Monster is a venomous lizard, but is not an aggressive lizard. It will however, defend itself if approached too closely. In this case, it will face its peril with its mouth opened wide, hissing boisterously. If the Gila feels further threatened it will jump at the aggressor and bite it. It will hang on persistently and the grooved teeth on its bottom jaw will need to be pried off. The nerve venom is very useful for immobilizing prey and it also aids in the digestion process. Human bites are very rare as the Gila Monsters are slow moving and hard to find in the wild. The Gila tends to spend much of its time underground in the summer to avoid the heat. During the colder winter months, the Gila hibernates. During hibernation the Gila uses fat reserves that are stored in its tail and abdomen. The Gila's skin is much more permeable than many other desert lizards, so they prefer days where the relative humidity is 50-80% to be active.

Identification:
The Gila is pink with yellow and black shading. Their tail has four to five bands on it. The Gila Monster has a distinctive rounded head, orange and pink beaded body and an extraordinarily thick tail. Their legs are short and they have very strong claws. This animal has five toes on each foot. Their lower jaw is incredibly powerful and contains the venom glands.

Diet:
The Gila's favorite food is eggs, which are most abundant in the spring; hence the Gila Monster is most active during the spring time. Although, they love eggs they also eat nesting birds, rodents, small rabbits and squirrels, and lizards. Basically, they eat just about anything that they can find on the ground. Gila Monsters are also known to feed on the eggs of a federally threatened species, the desert tortoise. An adult Gila Monster is capable of eating 35 percent of their body weight and young Gila's can devour as much as 50 percent of their body weight.

Mating and Young:
Only a small amount of information is known about reproduction in the wild. Mating takes place in the early summer and begins with the males flicking their tongue to search for the females scent. If a female objects to a male she will bite him and crawl away. The eggs are laid in depressions that are dug in damp soil. The female lays her eggs in July or August and on average five eggs are laid, but can range from one to thirteen eggs. Incubation lasts about ten to twelve months and Gila Monster is the only known egg-laying lizard in North America whose eggs are incubated over the winter season. The young hatch the following April through June. Once the newborn Gilas emerge from the eggs, they will measure about six inches in length. They will grow quickly and within two to three years they will weight up to four pounds and measure about 20 inches in length.

Life Expectancy and Preditors:
Gila monsters have been known to live up to 30 years, but on average they are believed to live from ten to twenty-five years. Humans tend to be the Gila Monsters primary predator. This threat is primarily in the form of habitat loss and over-collection. State law in Arizona protects the Gila Monster. It is believe that other reptiles eat the young, including the rattlesnake. The adults are a food source for hawks, primary the Harris hawk, owls including the Great Horned owl, and for coyotes.