They may seem small at only 18-24 inches long, but they look mighty! There is no mistaking the intent of the impressive defense display that Gila monster puts on.
Gila monsters have an extremely low metabolism, and only needs to eat a few times per year. During this time males have been observed wrestling for dominance with the winner having more opportunities to reproduce. Mating season is in the spring months of May and June. They live on the ground, but are excellent climbers, and have been spotted climbing cactus in search of bird nests. Gila monsters have strong forelimbs and claws which allows them to dig through the tough, dry soil to create burrows which they live in. Although they live in desert areas with very little water, Gila monsters have been known to submerge in puddles after it rains. Gila monsters are nocturnal, though they do sometimes come out during the day in cooler weather. Here is a list of some of the behaviors that we do know about. Since these lizards spend so much of their time in their burrows and hiding, not much is known about their exact behaviors. Here is what you need to know about the overall aggressiveness of these lizards. Handling a Gila monster might result in a bite with little to no warning.Īlthough it is widely recognized by its banded body which is typically either black and pink, or black and yellow, it is not often seen as it spends up to 95% of its time in its burrow. They will usually warn you before they bite by facing you with an open mouth and hissing. It is one of only two venomous lizards in North America, the other being the Mexican beaded lizard.Īre Gila monsters aggressive? Gila monsters are considered fairly docile, and are not considered aggressive except when threatened or cornered. Researchers are still working to understand its function in these animals.The Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum, is a venomous lizard found in northern Mexico and the southwest United States. But the oddest part of the story is that exendin-4 doesn't regulate blood sugars in Gila monsters. It’s so useful that you might even say Gila monsters are monster helpers for diabetes and human health. Scientists now make a molecule similar to exendin-4, called exenatide (often known by its trade name Byetta).īyetta is used to manage blood sugar in humans who can no longer manage it very well on their own. A similar protein in Gila monsters proved to be even more helpful. Researchers found a special protein in beaded lizards that can help regulate blood sugar in humans. This situation can cause the disease diabetes. 
But sometimes our bodies aren’t able to process blood sugar, making it hard for us to use the sugars. Our bodies release hormones that help us take up and use or store these sugars. Every time we eat, our blood sugar rises. In most animals, including humans, blood sugar is a very changeable thing. Gila monster proteins are now being used to help people with diabetes regulate their blood sugar levels. They thought these could be especially helpful for treating diseases associated with the processing of food (or energy). Because of this binge-feeding lifestyle, scientists thought Gila monsters, as well as their cousins, the beaded lizards, might have proteins that could be helpful to human health. Then, they might eat a huge meal that results in the need to process a large amount of nutrients in a short amount of time. Gila monsters may go for months without eating a meal. These fat stores are important for them to live through the winter, as well as the dry, hot summer. They have space to store these fats in their tails, like other lizards do, but also in their abdomens. Gilas need to store fats so they have enough energy to get through the long parts of the year when they can’t find food.
If an adult human ate that much, it would be like eating two to three turkeys in one sitting! Being able to eat so much at a time is important for animals that store a lot of energy. Sometimes this can be about a third (~30%) of their weight. When Gilas find a meal, they stuff themselves with as much food as they can hold.
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