Gila Monsters | Learn fun facts about this venomous lizard

Gila Monsters | Learn fun facts about this venomous lizard with tags gila monsters, what is a gila monster, are gila monsters venomous, diet of a gila monster, are gila monsters reptiles, what do gila monsters eat, reptiles, biology, animals, learn bright

Did you know that Gila monsters are oviparous, which means they lay their own eggs? They are also super venomous. The Gila monster is a type of lizard with very special physical characteristics. Its skin is covered in bead-like scales called osteoderms, which help protect it like armor. These scales are usually black with bright pink, orange, or yellow patterns that warn predators that it is dangerous. Gila monsters can grow up to about two feet long and have thick, fat tails where they store extra fat to survive when food is scarce.

The Gila monster received its name from its primary habitat, the Gila River Basin in Arizona and New Mexico. They live in desert habitats in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, especially in places like Arizona. The "monster" part of the name is likely due to its venomous nature and, sometimes, folklore associating it with danger. Here's a fun fact: Gila monster venom is used in Ozempic and GLP-1 medications!

Gila monsters prefer dry, rocky areas with lots of burrows and cacti where they can hide from the hot sun. Gila monsters are primarily solitary, meaning they like to live alone. However, they do come together during the mating season. They are nocturnal or crepuscular, so they are most active at night or during the early morning and late evening when it's cooler.

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What you will learn in Gila Monsters:

0:00 Introduction

0:22 What is a gila monster?

1:59 Caring for their young

2:40 Diet of gila monsters

4:00 Other interesting facts

5:31 Why they are important to the environment

6:40 Review of the facts

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