A Complete List of Desert Animals That'll Surely Fascinate You. Plants and animals from deserts are adapted to surviving in adverse climatic conditions. Gila Monster - Desert. USAThe Gila monster is a stout- bodied lizard that grows 1. The Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum. The Gila monster is a stout-bodied lizard that grows 18 to 24 inches in length. It has black, orange, pink or yellow broken.![]() It has black, orange, pink or yellow broken blotches, bars and spots, with bands extending onto its blunt tail. Its face is black, and it has small, bead- like scales across its back. It is named for the Gila River Basin of the southwestern United States. The Gila monster is one of only two species of venomous lizards; both are of the family Helodermatidae and both are similar in appearance and habits. Its venomous cousin, the Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum), is slightly larger and darker. Most of the Gila monster's teeth have two grooves that conduct its venom, a nerve toxin, from glands in the lower jaw. ![]() ![]() ![]() The toxin is not injected like that of the snake, but flows into the wound as the lizard chews on its victim. While the bite can overpower predators and prey, it is rarely fatal to humans. There are two subspecies of Gila monsters in the deserts of the Southwest: H. Adults are mottled and blotched. H. s. Adults have a broad double crossband. Range. Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of extreme southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, Arizona and southwestern New Mexico into Mexico. Habitat. Desert and semiarid regions of gravelly and sandy soils with shrubs. Found under rocks, in burrows of other animals and in holes it digs itself. Behavior. During warm weather the Gila monsterfeeds at night on small mammals, birds and eggs. Fat stored in the tail and abdomen during this period is utilized during the winter months. Both species of Heloderma are sluggish in habit, but they have a strong, tenacious bite. Life Cycle. Gila monsters mate throughout the summer months, with the female laying 3 to 5 eggs in sandy soils, burrows or under rocks, during fall or winter. Desert Animal & Wildlife Index. Venomous Reptilese. Book. Health and Medical Disclaimer. The information provided on this web site and by this web site through content provided by Authors or third party providers, and in other sources to which it refers, is PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. The Great Basin Desert from SE Oregon and SW Idaho southward through Nevada and Utah, the Mojave Desert of Nevada, Arizona and California, and the Sonoran. Sonoran Desert Fact Sheets. Anna's Hummingbird; Bark Scorpion; Bobcat; Cactus Wren; Collared Lizard; Coyote. Deserts are not deserted by wildlife. They are places of little rain and much sun, and are home to a surprising variety of plants and animals. ![]() ![]() Information provided at and by Desert. USA is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE. If you have a medical concern, or suspect you have a health problem you should consult your primary doctor or specialist. If you cannot agree to this Health and Medical Disclaimer, you are not permitted to use this web site and should exit immediately. Sign up below or read more about the Desert. USA newsletter here.
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