There are many interesting facts to note about this lizard, considered the largest lizard in the United States that is native to the region. The interesting reptiles are also found in Mexico while in the United States they are found in Nevada, New Mexico, Sonora Arizona, California and Utah. These are dry areas since the Gila monster likes desert and semi-desert areas.
The Gila monster is one of the poisonous lizards in the world, having poison that is similar to the poison of coral snake in terms of toxicity. Since they do not have fangs like snakes, they spread their poison through their saliva by biting and chewing. As it chews, its saliva is spread into the bite wound thus spreading the poison. …show more content…
Characteristics of the Gila monster
There are numerous species of lizards that are found within the regions that the Gila monster inhabits but there are various characteristics of the Gila monster that make it unique. Some of the characteristics of the Gila monster are easy to note and can enable one to easily identify it once spotted.
Being the largest native lizard in the United States, the Gila lizard can grow up to a length of 56 centimeters and weigh up to 2 kilograms. Their weight will vary depending on the availability of food and depending on which season it is because they hibernate during winter.
The Gila monster has skin which has scales looking like beads and they are called osteoderms and they are black in color. They also have a yellow or pink spots and stripes that run along the length of their body. They further have a tail which can take up to 20% of their body size and weight depending on how much food they consume. This is because they store fat in their tails which they use during hibernation or lean times when food is