Part 9

Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)

More conflicting statements are made about the Gila (HEE-lah) monster than about any other desert reptile. Some persons insist that it is not poisonous, others are sure that even its breath is poisonous: that it spits or blows its poison: that the animal has no anal opening, hence undigested fecal matter remains in the body, decays, and is the basis of its poison; and so on.

Here are the facts. The lizard is poisonous and its bite may be serious, possibly fatal. Its breath is not poisonous, and although the animal seems to have a chronic case of halitosis, this has nothing to do with its dangerous properties. It does not spit poison, but when angered it frequently hisses, the outcoming blast of air sometimes carrying droplets of saliva. It has a normal anal opening and voids fecal matter in a perfectly normal manner. It is not a walking septic tank as many persons believe.

Largest of the lizards native to the United States, and the only species found in this country which is poisonous, the Gila monster rarely attains a length of 2 feet. Average specimens are smaller. Its beady skin, heavy body, short legs, and waddling gait set it apart from all other lizards except its close relative, the also poisonous Heloderma horridum of Mexico. The Gila Monster is a spectacular black and corral color, while the other is black and yellow.

Gila monsters are found in southern Arizona, their range extending northwestward into the southern tip of Nevada and southwestern Utah.

Food and habits

Food consists chiefly of bird and reptile eggs, young rodents, and such small or juvenile creatures as it is able to capture. It is especially fond of hen eggs and may be kept in captivity for a long time without other food. It is also fond of clear water, which seems strange because of the scarcity of this liquid in the natural habitat of the lizard. If provided with a basin of water it may lie partly submerged for hours.

Occasionally encountered ambling across stretches of open desert, especially in the spring, the Gila monster is normally docile and bends every effort toward escape among the stiff stems of some bush or beneath the protecting spine-clad stems of a cactus plant. Sometimes an individual with a “chip on its shoulder” may be met, or one in a normal state of mind may be teased or prodded into anger, when it advances with open mouth, sputtering and hissing.

When aroused, the Gila monster is remarkably agile, making quick turns of its head to snap at nearby objects. If it secures a grip, it hangs on with bulldog-like tenacity, grinding the object between its teeth.

Gila monsters reproduce by means of eggs which are about 2½ inches long with a tough, parchment-like skin. From 5 to 13 eggs are deposited by the female in a hole which she scoops in moist sand in a sunny location. After laying the eggs, she covers them with sand, and leaves them for the heat of the sun to hatch.

1. Poison gland. 2. Grooved tooth. 3. Poison duct. 4. Opening, poison duct. 5. Eye. 6. Dissected lower jaw.

The Gila monster’s tail serves as a storehouse of nourishment, being thick and heavy in times of plenty, and thin and rope-like in the early spring when the reptile first appears after months of hibernation, during which time it has lived on the reservoir of fat stored in its tail.

Poison of the Gila monster

The poison of the Gila monster is produced by glands in the lower jaw. To be most effective, the poison must be ground into the wound through action of the grooved teeth, the process taking a little time. Bitten persons who immediately have broken away sometimes show no effects of the venom, therein lying the basis for the widespread statement that Gila monsters are not poisonous.

Bitten persons who have been unable to release themselves show symptoms of poisoning similar to persons suffering from rattlesnake bite, although the poison is more neurotoxic in action. Breathing and heart action are speeded up, followed by a gradual paralysis of the heart and breathing muscles.

Treatment is essentially the same as that for rattlesnake bite, which is described earlier in this booklet. A physician should be summoned at once. Stimulants are dangerous, and no one should be permitted to give the patient any alcohol whatever.

Prevention is much simpler than cure, so Gila monsters should be allowed to mind their own affairs unmolested. Normally they are not pugnacious, and it would be very difficult for one to bite a human unless it were being teased or handled or were stepped upon by a bare-footed child. Please do not kill or capture Gila monsters. These interesting lizards are a unique feature of native desert wildlife threatened with extinction. Please leave them for other people to see and enjoy. Furthermore, the Gila monster is protected by State law.

Harmless Creatures Mistakenly Believed Poisonous

Practically everyone is aware of the widespread fear of snakes exhibited by people of all races and in all walks of life. This fear although largely emotional, is rationalized by many persons with the statement “Well, it MIGHT be poisonous.” Other persons believe that there is some rule of thumb, such as a flat or triangular-shaped head, by which all poisonous snakes may be recognized. A great many persons kill all snakes, just on general principles. Thus the innocent suffer with the guilty, the harmless with the dangerous.

As scientists explore deeper and deeper into the intricacies of animal behavior and obtain more and more knowledge of the ecological relationships among animals and between animals and plants, it becomes increasingly clear that these relationships present a delicate balance or adjustment of nature. Epidemic diseases, disasters such as fires and floods, and radical climatic changes may upset or alter these relationships, sometimes with far-reaching effects.

But the greatest and most persistent disturber of the biological peace is MAN. Almost every time man reduces or destroys one phase of nature, he releases, in so doing, previously unrecognized forces which turn on him in a manner that he least expects. Snakes, in general, live on small rodents, thereby helping to maintain a balance whereby rodents are unable to increase to such a point that they get out of nature’s control. Kill all of the snakes in a given area, and some of the control on rodent population is removed with a resulting increase in the destruction of vegetation and consequent damage to farmers’ crops. So if you must kill snakes, by all means limit your activities to those which are known definitely to be poisonous.

One of the purposes of this booklet is to familiarize the desert dweller or visitor with the snakes that ARE poisonous. All the rest are harmless, in fact they are generally beneficial to mankind, even though their heads may be triangular in shape. A given territory is capable of supporting a rather definite number of snakes. Kill the harmless ones and those that come in to take their place may be poisonous species.

In all parts of the country certain creatures, particularly reptiles, are credited with supernatural powers for causing injury or aid to human beings. Among aboriginal peoples, these superstitions are a part of their religion and have a powerful effect upon their thinking. For example, among the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona, snakes may be messengers who, if properly indoctrinated, will convey to the rain gods expressions of the people’s need for moisture in order that their crops may mature.

Even among a people who for years have had the benefit of scientific knowledge, superstitions persist. The hoopsnake and the milksnake offer cases in point, and there will be readers of this booklet who will toss it aside in anger because it states that both of these myths are without substantiation in fact.

These imaginary tales are passed from generation to generation and are the strongest in regions where the percentage of uneducated people is high. This situation exists in the South and Southwest. Many persons who have been denied educational opportunities are extremely credulous and have a long list of creatures to each of which they credit injurious or helpful powers. A majority of these creatures are perfectly harmless, but they are too numerous to be given space in this publication. However, it seems only fair to mention a few of the commonest of these persecuted species in the hope that they may be recognized as not only harmless, but in many cases actually beneficial to man. Thus may their unwarranted persecution be somewhat reduced.

Banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)

Quite small, with velvety skin and delicate markings making it appear fragile and semitransparent, this lizard has little to inspire fear. Hiding away during daylight hours in dark and preferably moist retreats, it comes forth at night in search of insects for food.

It is rarely seen unless disturbed in its hiding place, which may be in the corner of a closet or cupboard beneath the sink. If captured, it struggles to escape, emitting a faint, high-pitched squeak.