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Gila Monster

Heloderma suspectum

Potentially dangerous

Classification

The Gila monster ( HEE-lə; Heloderma suspectum) is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, slow-moving reptile, up to 22 in (56 cm) long, and it is the only venomous lizard native to the United States. Its venomous close relatives, the four beaded lizards (all former subspecies of Heloderma horridum) inhabit Mexico and Guatemala.

Distribution

(c) H. van der Ploeg, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA
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Countries in the Picchu catalog
Switzerland · 1