All About . . . Gila Monsters
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World Almanac for Kids
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Gila Monster
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Gila monsters are one of only two kinds of venomous lizards in the world. Their venom is about as toxic as diamondback rattlesnake venom, but the Gila can only inject a small amount at one time. Their bite is fast and very strong. Venom flows through grooved bottom teeth into the wound. People are not usually killed by Gila monster bites, but the wound is really painful. It is also very hard to get the creature to unclench its jaws and release its victim.
Even the largest "monsters" are only about two feet long and weigh about 5 pounds. They have thick tails that grow thicker after meals because that's where they store fat. These lizards have been known to eat up to one-third of their body weight in one meal! That's like a 60-pound kid eating 80 quarter-pound hamburgers. Food isn't always easy to find in their Southwestern U.S. desert habitat, even though Gilas aren't picky eaters. They eat mostly small birds and mammals, eggs, lizards, frogs, and insects. A Gila monster tracks its prey by picking up a scent, then following a "taste trail" by flicking its tongue. Gila monsters also sometimes eat carrion, which is an animal that is already dead.
Gila monsters have distinctive coloring: they are black with either bands or blotches of pink or orange. Their coloring helps them to blend into their desert habitat, but Gila monsters spend most of their time in underground burrows. They emerge only to eat or bask in the sun, because—like all reptiles—they are cold-blooded.