Habitat: The Gila monsters preferred winter quarters are in highland rocky outcrops. They leave their winter home sites in late spring when the temperature starts to rise and head to the cooler and moister underground of the lower bajada or valley below. The all-year home range is usually less than a kilometer. Home ranges overlap and they often go in and out of the same burrows, in a loosely knit social system where the long-term residents in the community must know each other well, and are occasionally seen together in successive years. In Arizona, they are found from the NW Part of the State down south all the way to Yuma and across the Southern part of the State from the Sub Mogollon Rim Country to Mexico. They range in Elevation from Sea Level to over 5,500 Feet. They are found in Desert Scrub to Woodlands.

Description: A large stout-bodied lizard with a big head, rounded body and tail, short muscular legs with big feet and large toes and strong claws. It is a beaded lizard, with a bead-like skin on its upper surfaces. The snout is solid black and they have an overall reticulated color pattern that is pink and black, orange and black, or yellowish and black. The rounded tail is fairly short and sausage shaped and has five black bands. They also have a black tongue. The species is our largest lizard with the maximum total length reaching 22 in (56.0 cm). For this subspecies the adults have dark broad cross bands with light colored (pink, orange, yellow) circles inside. Hatchlings average 6.5 in (16.5 cm) and weigh 1.2 oz (32.7g).

Comments: They are not aggressive or dangerous unless they are picked up and handled. Then, they may grab an arm or a finger, cling with a vise-like grip and implant their venom by chewing it in. The venom glands are located beneath the skin in the lower jaw. The glands have ducts that carry venom to the edge of grooved venom-conducting teeth. Their heavy, stubby tail stores fat and provides subsistence when food is short. The Gila Monster is diurnal during the Spring Months and Nocturnal during the Hotter Summer Months. It is most active from March to June. Although they are diurnal they spend most of their time underground. They will only spend on average 3 Weeks a Year above Ground. They are strong climbers as well as powerful diggers. They have good daylight vision and excellent hearing. The species is sedentary and long-lived denning reptiles that return year after year to the same cold-season home site. Gila monsters are believed to live from 10-25 years. Coyotes, owls, hawks, and eagles may prey upon them and other reptiles probably consume immatures as well. The Gila Monster is a Carnivore and stores most of it's Fat in it's Tail. Due to it's slow Metabolism, it may only eat 4 to 5 times a Year....

Special Notes: Gila Monsters are Protected in the State of Arizona...They are on the Official Restricted Wildlife List...Although they are Prey for many other Carnivores, their biggest Threat and Decline is due to Humans and Encroaching Human Development, resulting in the Loss of Habitat. They are sensitive Reptiles and react very poorly to Stress caused by Human Interaction and Encroachment. This Stress can carry serious Physical consequences for them. When they are displaced due to Human Contact or Encroachment, they must be placed in Captivity due to High Mortality Rates caused by Relocation...A Majority do not survive the transition into Captivity either. They simply do not adapt well to Change or Stress likely due to their unique Physical and Behavioral Factors. Most Gila Monsters that are on the Market for Sale elsewhere were born in Captivity. It is against the Law in the State of Arizona to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, capture, trap, or collect Gila Monsters or to attempt such acts. Fines can be as much as $8000.00 per Violation.

Source: Arizona Game & Fish Dept.
Source: Reptiles and Amphibians of AZ
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes
Source: Arizona Administrative Codes
Source: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
Source: Phoenix Herpetological Society