Woodland Park Zoo Press Release

What:
A trio of Gila (pronounced HEE-la) monsters will undergo a full physical examination and blood draw in preparation for a move to Saint Louis Zoo. The venomous lizards are all females, ages 3, 13 and 14. They will not be anesthetized during the examination. Animal patients at Woodland Park Zoo receive excellent medical care and this standard also applies to animals transferring to other institutions.

Gila Monster
Photo: Ryan Hawk

Seven Gila monsters will remain at the zoo’s Day Exhibit, a gallery of smaller-scale exhibits with amphibians and reptiles. One of the remaining lizards is about 38 years old, the oldest on record by several years.

When:
Tuesday, November 20, 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Woodland Park Zoo’s Animal Health Complex. Enter through the South Entrance parking lot at N. 50th St. & Fremont Ave. N. Drive straight through the road that winds north of the Rose Garden. It is the first building on the left.

Info:
Gila monsters are one of two known venomous lizards, the other being the Mexican beaded lizard. Native to the Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, Gila monsters prefer rocky foothills, and avoid open areas and agricultural regions. Gila monsters may live in burrows dug by other animals, or may excavate their own.

This colorful lizard may grow to a length of 20 inches. Unlike snakes, Gila monsters and Mexican beaded lizards evolved their venom for defense, rather than for killing and digesting food. Gila monster venom is produced by glands in the mandible, and enters a bite wound by traveling up grooves in the lower teeth. Gila monsters bite and hang on like a bulldog, so that the venom can work its way into the wound. Typically, bites occur when people are handling the lizards. Although the Gila monster’s bite is normally not fatal to humans, it is extremely painful, and it is very important to see a doctor as soon as possible if bitten.

Gila monsters are threatened by human persecution, habitat destruction and collection for the reptile hobbyist trade. While they are protected throughout their range, more needs to be done to ensure their existence. Gila monsters have been designated as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting international standards for zoos all over the world. Conservation, education and excellent animal care are at the core of the zoo’s mission. The zoo is helping to save animals and their habitats in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring people to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.