The name "Gila" refers to the Gila River Basin in the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico, where the Gila monster was once plentiful.[7]
The Gila monster is the largest extant lizard species native to North America north of the Mexican border. Its snout-to-vent length ranges from 26 to 36 cm (10 to 14 in). The tail is about 20% of the body size, and the largest specimens may reach 51 to 56 cm (20 to 22 in) in total length.
The Gila monster's diet consists of a variety of food items – small mammals (such as young rabbits, hares, mice, ground squirrels, and other rodents), small birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, other invertebrates, carrion, and the eggs of birds, lizards, snakes, and tortoises.[19][20][21][22][23] Three to four extensive meals in spring are claimed to give them enough energy for a whole season.[citation needed] Nevertheless, they feed whenever they come across suitable prey. Young Gila monsters can swallow up to 50% of their body weight in a single meal.[16] Adults may eat up to one third of their body weight in one meal.[9]
The Gila monster uses its extremely acute sense of smell to locate prey.
Prey may be crushed to death if large, or eaten alive, most of the time head first, and helped down by muscular contractions and neck flexing. After food has been swallowed, the Gila monster may immediately resume tongue flicking and search behavior for identifying more prey such as eggs or young in nests. Gila monsters are able to climb trees, cacti, and even fairly straight, rough-surfaced walls.[3][24]
The venom of a Gila monster is normally not fatal to healthy adult humans.[25] No reports of fatalities have been confirmed after 1930, and the rare fatalities recorded before that time occurred in adults who were intoxicated by alcohol or had mismanaged the treatment of the bite.[30] The Gila monster can bite quickly, and may not release the victim without intervention. Symptoms of the bite include excruciating pain, edema, and weakness associated with a rapid drop in blood pressure.
YouTuber and wildlife educator Coyote Peterson described the bite as "like hot lava coursing through your veins" and claimed it was "the worst pain [he] had ever experienced." It is generally regarded as the most painful venom produced by any vertebrate.[31]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_monsterI dunno. Sounds like a pretty useless critter to me.
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