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The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum, / ˈ h iː l ə / HEE-lə) is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, slow-moving reptile, up to 56 centimetres (22 in) long, and it is the only venomous lizard native to the United States.
The genus Heloderma contains the Gila monster (H. suspectum) and four species of beaded lizards. Their eyes are immobile and fixed in their head. [2] [3] The Gila monster is a large, stocky, most of the time slow-moving reptile that prefers arid deserts. Beaded lizards are seen to be more agile and seem to prefer more humid surroundings.
The Helodermatidae or beaded lizards are a small family of lizards endemic to North America today, mainly found in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, the central lowlands of Chiapas, on the border of Guatemala, and in the Nentón River Valley. [1] But they were formerly more widespread in the ancient past.
This family includes large and stocky lizards, including the infamous Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), which reaches a total length up to 60 cm (23.6 in) with a snout-vent length (SVL) of 36 cm (14.1 in) [10] and a body mass from 1 kg (2.2 lb) [10] to 2.2 kg (4.9 lb) [citation needed] depending on the source. But despite the stocky and ...
The Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (Heloderma exasperatum) is a venomous species of beaded lizard in the family Helodermatidae. It is found in the tropical forests and shrublands of western Mexico, specifically around the Rio Fuerte and Rio Mayo basins. It is often found in or near abandoned mammal burrows and sources of water. [4] [5]
The uniqueness of the species was immediately recognized and Steindachner placed it in its own family, Lanthanotidae. In 1899, George Albert Boulenger relegated it to the family Helodermatidae, together with the beaded lizards and Gila monster, on the basis of morphological similarities. [7]
The family Helodermatidae (beaded lizards) has only one genus with 5 species: the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (Heloderma exasperatum), Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum), Chiapan beaded lizard (Heloderma alvarezi) and Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti). [5]
The Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States, and like the 1st Volunteers they are a native to the land and unique in its commitment and deadly beyond any of its kind. The fight brought to the Apache menace was that of native peoples banded together by leaders like CPT John D. Walker.