The Sonoran Deserts’ Monster   Leave a comment

Gila Monster — Image by kenne

The Gila monster is a large, heavy- bodied lizard reaching a little over 1¼ feet in length.
The head is large, with small, beady eyes; the tail is short and fat. The family name
Helodermatidae means warty skin, referring to the beaded look of the dorsal scales,
due to the presence of osteoderms (small bones) under the scales.
The lizard is bright pink and black, usually in a reticulated pattern,
but in a banded pattern in some populations.

— Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 

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