Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum · Reptile
A stout, venomous lizard up to about 56 cm of the south-western United States and Sonora, in succulent desert, scrub and rocky canyons. It spends nine tenths of its life in burrows or under rocks and sleeps from October to early March. Its venom serves for defence; the bite is dangerous but rarely kills a healthy adult (one confirmed death since 1930, in 2024). It was the first venomous animal given legal protection, in 1952.
- Danger
- Can wound or kill
- How it is met
- Alone, by day
- Size
- Small
- In winter
- Sleeps through winter
Where it lives
Gives
Sources
- Matthew D. Stewart, Heloderma suspectum (Gila monster). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2003.
- Gila monster. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2026.
- Monstre de Gila. Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre, 2026.
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