Range:

Habitat:

Hot, arid and semi-arid country with gravelly and sandy soils, some shrubs and some moisture. It can be found under rocks, in other animals' burrows or in hollows it digs itself.

Characteristics:

It is one of only two venemous lizards in the world - the other being the Mexican beaded lizard. The venom is rarely fatal to humans, but the bite is very painful. Venom glands are located at the sides of the lower jaw and open along the outer gum. The teeth are slightly curved and grooved to help the flow of venom. When biting, the lizard will hold on tenaciously and chew, while the venom flows into the wound. The body is pinkish in color, the scales are mottled and blotched, and the face is black.

Behavior:

This lizard is sluggish, and chiefly nocturnal. It hunts primarily by scent. Fat is stored in the thick tail, and the animal can live off it for months. At such times it is likely to stay in a burrow for weeks. It is a good digger. When it bites, it bites hard, fast and maintains a tight grip.

Reproduction:

It mates throughout the summer. It lays 3–5 eggs in damp sand from fall to winter, each about 2 1/2 inches long. The incubation period is 120 days, and hatchlings are 4–6 inches long.

Interesting Facts:

A synthetic version of a protein found in Gila saliva is used as a treatment for diabetes in humans.