Gila Monster — Image by kenne
Their movement is slow
Blending in with dead branches
Our presence ignored.
— kenne
Archive for the ‘Gila Monster’ Tag
Gila Monster Leave a comment
A Gila Monster Spring Leave a comment
A Gila Monster Spring (Sabino Canyon) — Image by kenne
Gila monsters are heavy-bodied lizards covered with beadlike scales, called osteoderms, that are black and
yellow or pink covering all but their belly. The Gila monster is venomous; its venom is made by a row of glands
in the lizard’s lower jaw. When the lizard bites, small grooves in the teeth help the venom flow into its prey. The
bite of a Gila monster is very strong, and the lizard may not loosen its grip for several seconds. It may even
chew so that the venom goes deeper into the wound.
As the name might suggest, the Gila (pronounced HEE-la) monster has one of the worst reputations in the
reptile world. This lizard is often feared and has been described as frightful and repulsive, especially in local
folklore. Source: San Diego Zoo
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Gila Monster Close-up 1 comment
Gila Monster Close-up — Image by kenneturner.com
“Gila monsters have beaded scales in colorful patterns. Gila monsters are
the largest lizards native to the United States. They get their name from
Arizona’s Gila River basin, where they were first discovered.
Gila monsters are also one of only two venomous lizards in the world.”
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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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Gila Monster In Sabino Canyon 2 comments
Gila Monster In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
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Our First Gila Monster Of The Season Leave a comment
Gila Monster — Image by kenne
Not monsters at all, Gila monsters are one of the few species of venomous lizards on the planet. These carnivores are classified as near threatened and are native to the Sonoran Desert. We saw this lizard moving near and under desert bushes in the Saguaro National Park yesterday. Although these carnivores are classified as near threatened, they can be commonly seen this time of year scavenging for food after spending the winter underground.
— kenne
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A Gila Monster Outing In Sabino Canyon Leave a comment
A Gila Monster Outing in Sabino Canyon — Images by kenne
A giant lizard
easy to see, slow to move —
attention getter.
— kenne
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Beady-eyed Monster 2 comments
Gila Monster Collage (Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, August 3, 2015) — Images by kenne
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Looking for a Date 2 comments
Gila Monster — Image by kenne
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Gila Monster Sightings 1 comment
Gila Monster — Image by kenne
Frequent sightings
driven by hunger and
spring mating —
slow-moving
morning walks in
black, pink and orange.
— kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Gila Monster In Sabino Canyon 1 comment
Gila Monster (September 5, 2014) Images by kenne
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Cub Scouts Observe a Gila Monster On Junior Ranger Nature Walk 1 comment
Gila Monster — Image by kenne
This morning I took a small group of Cub Scouts and parents on a Junior Ranger nature walk in Sabino Canyon. The walk is only a quarter and is designed to increase their knowledge of the desert. Although the gila monster is reasonably common to the Sonoran desert, they spend 90% of their time underground except during the mating season, which is May and June. This morning’s sighting made the scout’s day! (Mine too!)
After completing the walk, the scouts were awarded a Sabino Canyon Junior Ranger certificate.
kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Gila Monster Leave a comment
Gila Monster — Image by Stuart Salasche
While hiking the Esperero trail Friday, I met fellow hiker Stuart Salasche — long story short, he showed me a photo of a gila monster he took with his iPhone. He sent it to me and now I share it with you.
kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Gila Monster In The Canyon 1 comment
Gila Monster — Image by kenne
While watching a mother deer with two young ones near the tram road in Sabino Canyon, this gila monster got my attention.
Becoming is Superior to Being 