Gila Monster

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Large, powerful front claws are used to dig, and the rapid-moving forked tongue is used for smelling – something this lizard does well. The tongue will dart in and out of the Gila's mouth at blink-of-an-eye speeds, allowing it to smell both the ground and air. Males even locate mates by smelling for them.

In the wild, in July or August females deposit up to 15 leathery, oval-shaped eggs in a small hole several inches deep, and then she covers the hole. After the incubation the hatchlings emerge – hungry. The young will average 3½" – 4½" long, but can be as long as 6½" when they hatch.

The Gila's diet consists primarily of baby birds, bird eggs, baby mice, reptile eggs, and baby rats, all of which it prefers to catch and dine on very early in the morning. It confines its hunting to its range, which is estimated to be roughly one square mile. It is not uncommon to see a Gila eat an entire bird, lizard or snake – whole. In the Tucson area, Gila's consume large numbers of quail eggs – which also provide lots of necessary water. These lizards are voracious eaters. Young monsters can eat 50% of their body weight in a single meal, and adults can consume up to 35% of their body weight ion a single feeding. Some sources say the Gila can eat all it needs for a year in a mere four or five meals.

When hunting for food, the lizard moves slowly, its tongue incessantly searching for the scent of possible prey. During their active periods, the Gila will basically eat constantly – storing excess food as fat in its thick tail. This fat store becomes critical during the colder months, when the animal stays in its burrow. The Gila, which does not drink water, must get all of its liquid requirements filled by its food. It also stores water in its tail, and it lower abdominal area. When you see a Gila out in the desert world, you can tell how well it eats simply by looking at its tail. A thick, fat tail indicates that the animal is finding ample food. This method has the failing of being inaccurate right after the animal's hibernation period, when they are all down in weight.

The nature of the Gila's venom delivery system suggest that it is a defensive mechanism only, which is not designed to actually be the primary force in the taking of prey. This suspicion is further born out by the fact that the animal so obviously prefers to dine on eggs, and the very young offspring of other desert animals.

In the areas surrounding Tucson, the Gila monster has several enemies – animals that see it as a tasty meal. These include birds of prey such as owls and hawks, as well as more traditional predators like coyotes and mountain lions. Younger, smaller Gila monsters often fall prey to snakes, other lizards – and larger Gilas. The Gila moves about slowly and deliberately – though it does have the capacity for a burst of relative speed. This makes them relatively easy targets for birds of prey, which is but another reason for their very early morning (almost nocturnal) hunting habits. Naturally, that doesn't help them much with owls, which are also nighttime predators.

The primary threat to the Gila's existence is man. Earlier cultures and civilizations attached mythical, magical powers to the Gila, and the lifestyles of those groups did not encroach on the Gila unreasonably. Today, grazing, transportation development, and urban sprawl severely limit the habitable range of these animals. They are also frequently killed by automobiles. Some desert animals, such as the roadrunner and coyote can quickly make it across roads and streets, but the Gila, like the tarantula, is slow moving and therefore is much more likely to get struck and killed. If you see one of these lizards crossing the street, and it's safe to do so, avoid striking them. While they are in fact dangerous to humans, they have absolutely no desire to be in contact with them, and their slow moving nature makes them easy to observe, and stay away from at the same time. If one does somehow get into your yard, and has trouble escaping, contact the state wildlife people, or Tucson Animal Control about coming and safely removing it, and transporting it to a safer place.

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