GILA MONSTER
RELATED LINKS:
WILDLIFE
- Red Racer
- Gopher Snake
- Glossy Snake
- Common Kingsnake
- Mojave Rattlesnake
- Speckled Rattlesnake
- Panamint Rattlesnake
- Desert Sindwinder
- Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Great Basin Rattlesnake
- Gila Monster
- Chuckwalla
- Leopard Lizard
- Collard Lizard
- Spiny Lizard
- Desert Iguana
- Desert Whiptail
ANIMAL MOTION AND BODY COVERINGS
Gila Monster
One of just two venomous lizards in the world, the red/orange and black Gila monster is not often seen. Though active in daylight this lizard spends most of its life below ground, usually coming out only to look for food or a mate. It grows to lengths of about sixteen inches, making this Nevada’s largest lizard. Gila monster skin looks bumpy, as though the animal is covered with beads. The lizard eats mostly small mammals, usually caught below ground, but will also climb into bushes and small trees in search of birds’ eggs and young birds in nests. The Gila’s sense of smell also allows it to find buried lizard and snake eggs. Gila monster venom is moderately strong but bites to humans are very rare. People who have been bitten agree on one thing – the bite really hurts!
