When first learning about the Gila monster, one’s first reaction is likely that of fear and concern. First of all, the name Gila monster sounds quite intimidating. Secondly, it is alarming to learn that the Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States. During the Old West, early settlers believed many myths about the Gila monster, including that it had foul breath and was lethal to humans.

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While it’s true a Gila Monster’s bite can be fearsome — when a human is bit, the Gila monster can sometimes clamp down and won’t let go unless fully submerged in water, its jaws are prayed open with a knife or stick, or it is physically yanked free. The venom of a Gila monster is not normally fatal to healthy adults, contrary to what early settlers believed. The few fatalities reported before 1930 occurred in adults intoxicated by alcohol or mishandled the bite treatment.

YouTuber Coyote Peterson explained what it felt like to get bit by a Gila monster on his YouTube channel. He described it “like hot lava coursing through your veins” and “the worst pain [he] had ever experienced.” However, Gila monsters are heavy and typically slow-moving reptiles, so unless intentionally provoked, very rarely pose a real threat to humans. In this case, the YouTuber was attempting to capture close footage of the reptile with a GoPro, and, feeling threatened, the Gila monster struck his thumb.

So what is a Gila Monster exactly?

There’s more to the Gila Monster than their venom; these reptiles have colorful, beadlike skin that helps camouflage into their orange and red desert environments. Using its claws, it digs burrows and digs out eggs from other animals, and it uses its tongue to pick up scents in the air to hunt and receive information about its surroundings. Their tails can also store fat which Gila monsters rely heavily on this during times of food shortage, hibernation, and pregnancy.

In the wild, Gila monsters eat lizards, frogs, insects, small mammals, carrion, birds, and birds’ eggs. Taste and smell are the primary senses they use to hunt, and when they catch their prey, their bite wounds are filled with venom, and the venom attacks their prey’s nervous system. In general, Gila Monsters hide from the heat of the day in abandoned burrows, under rocks or bushes, or in burrows they dig. If you come across one, keep your distance and don’t feel threatened. Contrary to myths, they can’t spit venom at you like a spitting cobra, and they would much rather hide from you than attack you.

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Fun-facts

• North of the Mexican border, the Gila monster is the largest extant lizard species in North America.
• Byetta, a new drug that treats type-2 diabetes, contains a component of Gila monster venom (Exendin-4).
• Gila monsters had mixed reputations among Native American tribes. Pima and Tohono O’Odham believed it could cause sickness through its breath, while Apache believed it could kill. The Seri and the Yaqui believed that the Gila monster’s hide had healing properties.
• They are the first venomous animals to receive legal protection in North America. Arizona prohibits collecting, killing, or selling them.
• There’s more to their bumpy complexion than just their skin — the bumps on a Gila monster’s head are bony deposits beneath its skin.

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