Gila Monsters -

I was wondering if anyone owned one here.
I was at Parrot Jungle, and they have a reptile show there ... They have the most cute Gila Monster there. :aww:

Not sure if any of our members have them, although, I am from Arizona, grew up with them in the deserts, they are poisonous. They are very pretty. It would be something I would think of keeping once my kids grow up.

I found this pretty interesting: http://www.gila-monster.org/gila-monsters-captivity.htm . You cant go catch one legally, you can only buy captive bred.

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Originally Posted by led4urhead

You cant go catch one legally, you can only buy captive bred.

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And if you live in Arizona, you can't buy them, either. It is illegal to even TOUCH them.. :evil:

Jennifer

Do you see them alot emroul? I think it would be neat to see one in the wild anyway.

Yeah, I've seen a few. It is really neat seeing them in their natural environment, and not at a zoo or something like that.

Jennifer

Neat! I hope to make a trip to AZ one day to do some field herpin.

Take me with you Carson! :P
Gila monsters greatest threat is pools! :o

And traffic... :( Most the gila's I've ever seen were in the middle of the road (most the time a major highway)... :(

Jennifer

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And traffic... Most the gila's I've ever seen were in the middle of the road (most the time a major highway)...

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My Dad just came back from a motorcycle trip to Mesa to see my sister and he stopped 2wice to snap pics of Gila monsters crossing the road. They are one sweet looking critter.

Man Id love one of those.... We have them in Utah too, but alas, illegal to own under any circumstance...

Interesting green_man .. i didnt come across any laws pertaining to them in Utah. Good info to have.

Yeah, it took me forever to find laws on herps in Utah. When I did find them I later found that they were outdated. Go figure.

All venomous animals are restricted in Utah.

The only laws about venomous reptiles i could find Utah pertained to Sidewinders (Crotlaus cerastes cerastes), Speckled Rattlesnakes (Crotalus mitchellii), Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), and Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis). Nothing about lizards.

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(b) Lizards are classified as follows:

(i) Beaded lizard, Helodermatidae Family, (Heloderma horridum) is prohibited for collection, importation, and possession;

(ii) Chuckwalla, Iguanidae Family (Sauromalus) (All species) is prohibited for collection, and controlled for importation and possession;

(iii) Common side-blotched lizard, Phrynosomatidae Family (Uta stansburiana) is noncontrolled for collection, importation and possession, except as provided in Subsection (5);

(iv) Desert iguana, Iguanidae Family (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is prohibited for collection, and controlled for importation and possession;

(v) Desert night lizard, Xantusiidae Family (Xantusia vigilis) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(vi) Gila monster, Helodermatidae Family (Heloderma suspectum) is prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(vii) Northern sagebrush lizard, Phrynosomatidae Family (Sceloporus graciosus graciosus) is noncontrolled for collection, importation and possession, except as provided in Subsection (5);

(viii) Utah banded gecko, Gekkonidae Family (Coleonyx variegatus utahensis) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(ix) Variable (many-lined) skink, Scincidae Family (Eumeces multivirgatus epipleurotus) is controlled for collection, importation and possession; and

(x) Western zebra-tailed lizard, Phrynosomatidae Family (Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus) is controlled for collection, importation and possession.

(c) Snakes are classified as follows:

(i) Bird Snake, Colubridae Family (Thelotornis) (All species) are prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(ii) Boomslang, Colubridae Family (Dispholidus typus) is prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(iii) Burrowing asps, Atractaspidae Family (All species) are prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(iv) California kingsnake (black and white banded-form), Colubridae Family (Lampropeltis getula californiae) is controlled for collection, and noncontrolled for importation and possession;

(v) Desert glossy snake, Colubridae Family (Arizona elegans eburnata) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(vi) Great Plains ratsnake, Colubridae Family (Elaphe guttata emoryi) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(vii) Keelback, Colubridae Family (Rhabdophis) (All species) are prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(viii) Painted desert glossy snake, Colubridae Family (Arizona elegans philipi) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(ix) Pit vipers, Viperidae Family (All species, except Crotalus viridis) are prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(x) Proteroglyphous snakes, Australian spp., cobras, coral snakes, kraits, and their allies, Elapidae Family (All species) are prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(xi) Smith's (southwestern) black-headed snake, Colubridae Family (Tantilla hobartsmithi) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(xii) Smooth greensnake, Colubridae Family (Opheodrys vernalis) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(xiii) Sonoran lyresnake, Colubridae Family (Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda) is controlled for collection, importation and possession;

(xiv) Terrestrial gartersnake, Colubridae Family (Thamnophis elegans) is noncontrolled for collection, importation and possession, except as provided in Subsection (5);

(xv) Utah milksnake, Colubridae Family (Lampropeltis triangulum taylori) is prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(xvi) Utah mountain kingsnake, Colubridae Family (Lampropeltis pyromelana infralabialis) is prohibited for collection, importation and possession;

(xvii) Utah threadsnake (blindsnake), Leptotyphlopidae Family (Leptotyphlops humilis utahensis) is controlled for collection, importation and possession; and

(xviii) Western rattlesnake, Viperidae Family (Crotalus viridis) is controlled for collection, prohibited for importation, and controlled for possession, as provided in Subsection (4).

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http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/c...7/r657-053.htm

We have Mexican Beaded lizards down in New Mexico - they're not as pretty as Gilas, but they're a really exicting find. (I go field herping in my free time ... Roswell is awesome for lizards, rattlesnakes and cool invertebrates.)

=0 You live in Roswell, thats awesome.
Find any crash landed aliens lately?