# Gila Monsters!!!



## Najakeeper (Dec 15, 2012)

Finally, I have managed to acquire the animals that I have wanted for a while... Gila Monsters (_Heloderma suspectum_)!

I have kept these venomous lizards and their cousin species Mexican Beaded Lizards (_Heloderma horridum_) when I was in the States and I have been trying to get some since I moved to Europe. I have finally found a trio of babies for a very decent price and I got them . Here they are:



















And their home:







More pictures, video and info will follow...

Reactions: Like 12


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## Niffarious (Dec 15, 2012)

Gorgeous! I'm so jealous, you have no idea. Enjoy them!


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## Philth (Dec 16, 2012)

really nice animals there man, good luck with them!

Later, Tom


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## Najakeeper (Dec 16, 2012)

Niffarious said:


> Gorgeous! I'm so jealous, you have no idea. Enjoy them!





Philth said:


> really nice animals there man, good luck with them!
> 
> Later, Tom


Thanks guys. They are awesome and more active than I have anticipated. When you give them proper substrate and a decent size terrarium, they walk around and dig a lot. Very cool to watch.


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## jarmst4 (Dec 16, 2012)

Very cool. Those are on my to do list after my kids get older.


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## dactylus (Dec 16, 2012)

Nice pictures!!


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## jarmst4 (Dec 16, 2012)

My buddy had some, got to hold one years ago. That was pretty intimidating.


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## Trogdora (Dec 16, 2012)

Such beautiful animals, and your setup is incredible. I hope to get some of these one day.


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## Galapoheros (Dec 16, 2012)

Kinda wanted those for a few decades now, just never took they jump.  I know of two people around here that have some, and some beaded.  They look great.


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## Introvertebrate (Dec 16, 2012)

Very pretty.  Looking forward to a handling video. :wink:


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## catfishrod69 (Dec 16, 2012)

Awesome lizards man! If anybody really wants them, look on faunaclassifieds, and be ready to spend around $1000 lol.


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## myrmecophile (Dec 17, 2012)

Lovely animals, I miss mine. Although they are somewhat handle able it is certainly not a good idea. When they get riled, that bite reflex is very very fast.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 17, 2012)

Thanks for the comments guys. I love these guys, they are very active and very well behaved. They have already eaten their first meal in my care. 

I have my Midwest Gloves that I have brought with me all the way from US so the only handling I will do, I will do with those. 



catfishrod69 said:


> Awesome lizards man! If anybody really wants them, look on faunaclassifieds, and be ready to spend around $1000 lol.


I got mine for a very decent price. 5 babies for 2200 USD, sold 2 of these for 1000 USD on the way to home to another friend .


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## Shrike (Dec 17, 2012)

Congrats on the new acquisition.  They're beautiful!


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## Chicken Farmer (Dec 17, 2012)

awesome! your sol lucky!


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## catfishrod69 (Dec 17, 2012)

That is a very good price. Now if you can make some babies, and keep the money rolling. 





Najakeeper said:


> I got mine for a very decent price. 5 babies for 2200 USD, sold 2 of these for 1000 USD on the way to home to another friend .


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## RobynTRR (Dec 17, 2012)

Terrific species, congrats!


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## Redneck101 (Dec 18, 2012)

Congrats on the lizards man! they seem like they would be a fun and cool addition to have. honestly i have never thought about owning one. but idk now. haha.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

Thanks for all the comments guys.

Here are some individual pictures:

#1 Kashli






#2 Chengel







#3 Bhenek












Yes, I have christened them with pseudo-Turkish names.

Reactions: Like 1


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## freedumbdclxvi (Dec 18, 2012)

Lovely animals!  These are why I want a venomous license.  They are just so beautiful.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

This poor guy sleeps alone while the other two huddle together under a rock:

Reactions: Like 1


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## VictorHernandez (Dec 18, 2012)

Nice lizards! They look so cool.
Does anyone know ow potent their venom is?
But if I really wanted one, couldnt I just go out and search all day for some? Or is it illegal...?


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

VictorHernandez said:


> Nice lizards! They look so cool.
> Does anyone know ow potent their venom is?
> But if I really wanted one, couldnt I just go out and search all day for some? Or is it illegal...?


The venom is strong but the delivery mechanism is not as efficient as front fanged venomous snakes. 

They are listed as near threatened by IUCN and protected under CITES.  There are also state laws protecting them, it is illegal to "harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect the Gila Monster." You can serve jail time if you get caught helping them cross the road. 

So no, you absolutely could NOT.


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## jarmst4 (Dec 18, 2012)

Ive always heard they were pretty hard to get bit by, is that true? Or can one really get going after you if you piss it off bad enough?


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

jarmst4 said:


> Ive always heard they were pretty hard to get bit by, is that true? Or can one really get going after you if you piss it off bad enough?


Captive bred adults are seldom aggressive and very reluctant to take a bite. Babies are a bit nippy as they are prey to many animals in the wild. Unless you really provoke a captive bred adult Heloderma, you won't get bitt. However, if you do get bit, it will be beyond painful. Their bite is the exact opposite of a snake bite as they bite, hold on and chew. This is due to the fact that they are slow animals and they need to hold on when/if they get something to eat. Some keepers chopped the head of their gilas to get them off. When I had an adult pair, my female bit the male and I couldn't get her off. At the end, I sprayed a little little vinegar into the female's mouth and she let go immediately. Of course, their skin is so thick, the male was completely unharmed.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 20, 2012)

1st feeding video:

[YOUTUBE]fNXga5KM624[/YOUTUBE]


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## Redneck101 (Dec 20, 2012)

that is really cool to watch. question, i dont know to much about these guys.. but i have heard of people being able to safly handling these guys with leather gloves. is this true? just wondering.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 20, 2012)

Redneck101 said:


> that is really cool to watch. question, i dont know to much about these guys.. but i have heard of people being able to safly handling these guys with leather gloves. is this true? just wondering.


Yes, you can handle them with very decent leather gloves. I have brought my Midwest Leather Gloves from US with me, which are specially designed for reptile handling. Here is the link for the website and even the advertisement picture shows a guy handling a Heloderma sp. with the gloves. http://tongs.com/leathergloves.aspx

Since their teeth are not like hypodermic needles like venomous snakes, leather gloves give you a better protection. However, if the animal bites the glove, making it let go is another challenge.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Redneck101 (Dec 20, 2012)

thanks man! yeah, i knew about the teeth and grip i just didnt know about the gloves.


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## jdl (Dec 20, 2012)

That is a really nice setup.  How is the price of setups in Europe compared to the U.S.?  Enjoy them


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## Najakeeper (Dec 21, 2012)

jdl said:


> That is a really nice setup.  How is the price of setups in Europe compared to the U.S.?  Enjoy them


In my experience, everything in Europe is a bit more expensive compared to US. But I had most of the stuff that I needed from a previous setup so I didn't spend too much on this one.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 23, 2012)

From today's feeding:







I love the inside color of their mouth, very nice deep purple.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Redneck101 (Dec 25, 2012)

seeing videos and pictures of these guys never gets old. =)


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## Najakeeper (Dec 27, 2012)

Redneck101 said:


> seeing videos and pictures of these guys never gets old. =)


Filming them never gets old either, very interesting animals with great dispositions.

Even desert animals love a bit of extra humidity, when they can get some and Heloderma are no exception. Here is all three monsters huddled together in their small humidity chamber:







Here is the picture of the chamber within the cage for size reference:







The chamber is basically a small plastic box with some natural damp moss in it.


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## Najakeeper (Jan 5, 2013)

I upgraded the prey size for the Gilas as due to new working hours, I don't have time to feed these guys twice a week. Here are a couple pictures:

Reactions: Like 2


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## Shrike (Jan 9, 2013)

Gorgeous lizards!  Naja, you've got an amazing collection.


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## Arachno Wolf (Jan 9, 2013)

Nice! Those are some pretty Reptiles you got there.


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## Najakeeper (Jan 13, 2013)

Shrike said:


> Gorgeous lizards!  Naja, you've got an amazing collection.





Arachno Wolf said:


> Nice! Those are some pretty Reptiles you got there.


Thanks a lot guys. At least a couple high end and very cool animals will join the collection in March and let's keep that secret for a while  .

In the meantime, here is a picture from this week's feeding:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Najakeeper (Apr 7, 2013)

Here are some cool photos of the Gila Monsters that I took with my new macro lens.

Skin:








Tongue:

Reactions: Like 6


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## antinous (Apr 7, 2013)

REALLY nice animals! I'm really jealous!


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## PrettyHate (Apr 7, 2013)

These are wonderful 

Do you only feed them frozen/thawed mice? Or will they take other protein sources as well (beef liver/heart etc)?


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## Shell (Apr 7, 2013)

Awesome pics! Love Gila Monsters


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## buddah4207 (Apr 7, 2013)

Wow those are some great looking lizards. Im putting them on my wishlist but the price is making it look like it will be awhile before this comes true.


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## stewstew8282 (Apr 8, 2013)

Very beautiful animals!

One thing I have never understood, is to why keepers worry about substrate being ingested by the animal. Wouldn't it get ingested in the wild in the course of the animal feeding? Just something I've seen mentioned before, and always scratched my head at.  ::


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## Najakeeper (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks for the comments guys.



PrettyHate said:


> These are wonderful
> 
> Do you only feed them frozen/thawed mice? Or will they take other protein sources as well (beef liver/heart etc)?


I feed them mice as mice are the whole package with muscle and bone. I will also feed them chicks when they are large enough to take them.



stewstew8282 said:


> Very beautiful animals!
> 
> One thing I have never understood, is to why keepers worry about substrate being ingested by the animal. Wouldn't it get ingested in the wild in the course of the animal feeding? Just something I've seen mentioned before, and always scratched my head at.  ::


We are imitating nature in our enclosures. The best enclosure being still an imitation, we can not 100% know what they ingest here is what they ingest in their environment. Aside from that, if a Gila Monster dies in the nature due to impaction of some kind, it is a sad day. If one of mine dies, it is an economically and emotionally sad day as well so I am always extra careful.


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## stewstew8282 (Apr 8, 2013)

Very well said, makes much more sense now. Thanks.


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## RobynTRR (Apr 9, 2013)

That is a really neat tongue shot!


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## Najakeeper (Apr 14, 2013)

RobynTRR said:


> That is a really neat tongue shot!


Thanks! Those will get better as I learn to use this macro objective.

On another note, I have given the Gilas a warm bath the other day and here is one of them enjoying the water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki_lAbrEGwc


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## Najakeeper (May 12, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Here is one of my puppies lapping up some egg yolk:

[YOUTUBE]ZEmo06GAGRY[/YOUTUBE]

Gilas love to eat eggs in the wild and mine are no different.


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## Stirmi (May 14, 2013)

Cool! i saw them when i was in hamburg Pa, i was wondering i never get a straight up answer is the venom dangerous enough to send you to the hospital or worse


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## Ryan2 (May 14, 2013)

How does one obtain a Gila monster?...btw its awesome =)


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## EightLeggedFreaks (May 15, 2013)

I'm an invert guy, so I have a question!

When you say venomous.  What kind of potency do they have?  How does it effect the average person if bit?


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## Najakeeper (May 15, 2013)

Ryan2 said:


> How does one obtain a Gila monster?...btw its awesome =)


You can only purchase Gila Monsters from breeders. These animals are highly protected so collection from wild is illegal. You can check reptile classifieds for animals available, they are still quite pricey though.



Stirmi said:


> Cool! i saw them when i was in hamburg Pa, i was wondering i never get a straight up answer is the venom dangerous enough to send you to the hospital or worse





EightLeggedFreaks said:


> I'm an invert guy, so I have a question!
> 
> When you say venomous.  What kind of potency do they have?  How does it effect the average person if bit?


Gila Monster venom is serious business. It causes rapid fall of blood pressure, respiratory irregularities, heart related anomalies, hypothermia, edema, internal hemorrhage etc. Here is a nice site explaining all the venom components and giving several LD50 values: http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.terrestrial_vertebrates.venom&id=TV0002

There have been no Gila Monster related fatalities after 1939 and prior fatalities are attributed to substandard medical care. But getting bitten by one of these guys is surely a medical emergency and should be treated that way. However, a Gila Monster bite can be considered less dangerous than a bite from a front fanged venomous snake because Gila Monsters produce less venom and they have an inefficient venom delivery system compared to a venomous snake. Snake fangs are like hypodermic needles and they can inject high quantities of venom very quickly. Gila Monsters, on the other hand, use brute chewing force to open wounds and rely on capillary action to deliver venom. 

In addition to the above, Gila Monsters are docile creatures, which are highly unlikely to get in a position to bite a human being. Most bites occur in captive situations or where someone picks the lizard up in the wild for one reason or another. Here is a great quote from a doctor explaining this:



			
				Dr.Ward said:
			
		

> I have never been called to attend a case of Gila monster bite, and I don't want to be. I think a man who is fool enough to get bitten by a Gila monster ought to die. The creature is so sluggish and slow of movement that the victim of its bite is compelled to help largely in order to get bitten.


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## freedumbdclxvi (May 15, 2013)

Ryan2 said:


> How does one obtain a Gila monster?...btw its awesome =)


Check your state's venomous and wildlife regulations to see if any permits are required.  I know in Florida, they require a venomous license, which requires around 1000 hours of training.


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## EightLeggedFreaks (May 15, 2013)

Thanks NajaKeeper!  Appreciate it.


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## Najakeeper (Jun 6, 2013)

I don't have video or anything but I witnessed a very cool moment with these guys yesterday.

I was a bit under the weather so I left work early and went home at around 2.00pm or so, which happens to be the time these guys wake up. So I went to their cage to see what they were up to and saw that one of them was leaving their makeshift barrow, which they share even though they have a larger one completely empty. So this little monster wakes up, leaves the barrow, moves a couple steps in drunken sleepy motion, stops and yawns like a little kid . It is so funny to see that big mouth open like that and see the nice purple color. Anyway, he starts moving again very slowly, makes it all the way to the other end of the cage (3-4 feet or so) and goes to the water bowl to get his morning drink. He puts his face in to the water and laps the water up like a dog with this tongue, then he tilts his head up like a bird and gulps the water. He does this several times then finally notices me watching, starts shuffling towards the cage door and stops right in front of it. So I open the door, cautiously reach in and start scratching the top of his head. Again he tilts his head up quite similar to my parrot and enjoys the affection for a full minute or so. Then he retreats slowly and starts his daily activities, which is about 6 hours of digging and making a mess .

Man, I love these guys...


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## Shrike (Jun 6, 2013)

Najakeeper said:


> Gila Monsters, on the other hand, use brute chewing force to open wounds and rely on capillary action to deliver venom.


And because of this delivery method, they tend to hang on for quite a while.  I've heard the bites are very painful.

Gorgeous lizards Naja!


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## Formerphobe (Jun 6, 2013)

Beautiful animals!  Love the pics.  Keep sharing.  Some of us have to live vicariously through the collections of others.


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## Najakeeper (Jun 6, 2013)

Shrike said:


> And because of this delivery method, they tend to hang on for quite a while.  I've heard the bites are very painful.
> 
> Gorgeous lizards Naja!


I always keep that in mind mate. I had an adult male bit down on a female once and I know how incredibly hard it is to make them release by physical force. Yet a little vinegar/water mixture sprayed into their mouth does the trick!


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## aznative86 (Jun 7, 2013)

Those are awesome!, I have lived in Arizona my entire 26 years and have seen a lot of these roaming the trails and what not threw out our desert.


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## Smokehound714 (Jun 8, 2013)

Najakeeper said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> Here is one of my puppies lapping up some egg yolk:
> 
> ...


 Awesome!  You're taking excellent care of them, too.  Everyone I see always just overfeeds their helos..  They want the "plump" looking stereotypical Gilas.. Good job on multiple hides, as well.  Many people fail to do this!


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## Najakeeper (Jun 8, 2013)

Smokehound714 said:


> Awesome!  You're taking excellent care of them, too.  Everyone I see always just overfeeds their helos..  They want the "plump" looking stereotypical Gilas.. Good job on multiple hides, as well.  Many people fail to do this!


Thanks for the comments mate.

Feeding: These animals are programmed to eat anything they can find as they need to store fat for hibernation and as food is scarce in their environment. Therefore keepers can get them obese very easily. Mine eat a decent size food item once a week and that is good enough for them. But I am also constantly watching the amount of fat they have on their tails as I will hibernate them this winter. 

Multiple hides: I think supplying multiple hides is very important in reptile husbandry and not a lot of people consider this. The natural instinct of many reptiles is hiding and failing to provide hiding spots can stress the animals. In a large terrarium, a single hide may not be enough as it may force the animal spend more time in a hot or cool area depending on where you place the hide. So to help with thermoregulation, I place one hide in the warm end and one in the cool end as long as the terrarium is large enough.


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## BobGrill (Jun 8, 2013)

Can you give them chicken or quail eggs? Just curious.


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## Najakeeper (Jun 9, 2013)

BobGrill said:


> Can you give them chicken or quail eggs? Just curious.


Yes, they are quite the egg thieves in the wild. However, drug resistant super bacteria in today's chicken eggs "may" cause health problems.


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## Najakeeper (Aug 11, 2013)

Here are my puppies at 10 months of age:







I prepared this to see what experts think about their sexes and it is very likely that I have 1 male and 2 females. They are still living together peacefully but I am planning to separate the male after the hibernation.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Najakeeper (Oct 27, 2013)

Even monsters love to be *scratched sometimes...







[sub]**Do not try this at home.*[/sub]

And a very interesting Gila Monster video:

[YOUTUBE]03A8tRhWWn4[/YOUTUBE]

Reactions: Like 2


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## SamuraiSid (Nov 3, 2013)

I had to show my wife this thread and she got upset with me when I had to tell her venemous herps are illegal in BC.oh:

Gorgeous Animals. Thanks for sharing.oh:

Wifey thinks they are super cute.


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## Najakeeper (Nov 4, 2013)

SamuraiSid said:


> I had to show my wife this thread and she got upset with me when I had to tell her venemous herps are illegal in BC.oh:
> 
> Gorgeous Animals. Thanks for sharing.oh:
> 
> Wifey thinks they are super cute.


Thanks mate. My wife thinks they are cute as well, only animals she actually finds "cute" in the reptile room. My cousin's wife visited once and she insisted on touching them so maybe it is a common trait among females .


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## Najakeeper (Nov 13, 2013)

Big *bad monster that sleeps under **your bed eating heart!







*As bad as a puppy
**Assuming you sleep somewhere in Midwest USA

Reactions: Like 1


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## Najakeeper (Nov 17, 2013)

Here is another video showing how *gentle these animals can be:

[YOUTUBE]S3aFDlKUnx4[/YOUTUBE]

*Disclaimer: Gila Monsters are venomous animals and I discourage other people to try my handling techniques.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Najakeeper (Mar 16, 2014)

Young love...

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mehish (Mar 16, 2014)

I always hear about this story about my uncle finding one of these creatures while in the Military. Something along the lines of him finding it while on patrol, picking up the lizard and bringing it back to base where he made alittle harness and leash for it ( mind you... he isn't the smartest man). While laying in bed with this creature, I guess his commanding officer had to explain to him that he "wasnt allowed to take home his "pet" and to get it the H*** out of here!". To this day... he will still fight with you saying that it loved him and it wasn't fair. lol

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mindibun (Mar 25, 2014)

My boyfriend and I have a gila named Hurley. We've wanted a female for him for years but not found one of suitable age (or price :/) Thought I'd post a picture of the little monster. We also have a beaded lizard but he actually IS a monster, the jerk. Hurley is a sweetheart.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Perentie (Apr 3, 2014)

This will be one of my first venomous animals once I'm older and have moved out. Later my favorite, the Rio Fuerte beaded


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## dante ferrari (Apr 7, 2014)

Awesome animals


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## Ilovepredators (Apr 7, 2014)

Very cool.  Ive always wanted one.  They very easy to keep?

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## Najakeeper (Apr 8, 2014)

Quite easy to keep and they calm down very well.


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## Ilovepredators (Apr 9, 2014)

Thanks. I wish they werent so hard to get and so expensive lol.


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## Najakeeper (Apr 18, 2014)

These guys are amazingly docile, I love'em:


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