# Gila Monsters



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Anyone got any experience with these wonderful lizards?


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## gizmossister (May 13, 2009)

i dnt know from direct experience but they r very gentle creatures from what i've heard very beautiful though especially the males with their bright red and black colouration just gotto make sure u use really long metal tweezers to feed them coz you dont want to be chewed on even if its by accident keep a stock of antivenom is advised  or live close to a hospital :lol2: but gd luck they r lovely critters, if ur careful.


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

gizmossister said:


> i dnt know from direct experience but they r very gentle creatures from what i've heard very beautiful though especially the males with their bright red and black colouration just gotto make sure u use really long metal tweezers to feed them coz you dont want to be chewed on even if its by accident keep a stock of antivenom is advised  or live close to a hospital :lol2: but gd luck they r lovely critters, if ur careful.


I didn't think there was antivenom developed for gilas/beadeds?

I've heard that they very slow venom delivery system which only gets a decent quantity injected if they have a good long chew (this may well be wrong, i'm sure I'll be correct soon enough 

They are stunning, various zoos have them and cold blooded in essex had them for sale a while back when i went there.


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## gizmossister (May 13, 2009)

they r deffinately out there but not specifically designed as of yet there are special research labs in america developing antivenoms for them at the moment and yes they do have a very slow delivery system but when feeding they release a hell of a lot more venom just as we do with saliva due to most venoms being a form of incapasitating and digesting prey and will hold on for dear life if they tag you when feeding most bites have been usually towards the hands and sometimes face due to being too close during feeding and being mistaken for pinkies :lol2:


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## Agkistrodon (Dec 12, 2008)

xyra said:


> I didn't think there was antivenom developed for gilas/beadeds?
> 
> I've heard that they very slow venom delivery system which only gets a decent quantity injected if they have a good long chew (this may well be wrong, i'm sure I'll be correct soon enough


Good luck letting one NOT have a good long chew - their jaws are like a vice. People have had trouble prying them off with a screwdriver, apparently the only way to definitely get them to let go if they don't want to is to half-drown them in a bucket of water or kill them.

You're also correct that there is no antivenom for a gila/beaded bite - luckily, bites are very rarely fatal, although they are extremely painful, with symptoms such as severe swelling at the bite site as well as chills, fever, and sickness, and many more to add to that lovely list, as well as an extremely messed-up hand from the biting force. They also pretty commonly leave some teeth in the wound making the infection risk pretty high.

I believe an antivenom is being researched, using components from the lizard's liver, as they're immune to their own venom, but it's very ineffective - the line's basically being taken that as the bites are so rarely fatal, antivenom research is not top of researcher's priorities.


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## kenobi (Sep 15, 2008)

*Gila's*

i worked in a zoo and had the pleasure of looking after a male Gila, he was very gentle, named him Speedy which was mocking him really as he was very slow.
no know antivenom over here, and its not quite as simple as having a stock of it in case of a problem, your local hospital will probably not hold a store of it if you are not a zoo or a venom research facility, plus they have a shelf life of about 6weeks usually.
wicked little critters, very fun to keep


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

Agkistrodon said:


> Good luck letting one NOT have a good long chew - their jaws are like a vice. People have had trouble prying them off with a screwdriver, apparently the only way to definitely get them to let go if they don't want to is to half-drown them in a bucket of water or kill them.
> 
> You're also correct that there is no antivenom for a gila/beaded bite - luckily, bites are very rarely fatal, although they are extremely painful, with symptoms such as severe swelling at the bite site as well as chills, fever, and sickness, and many more to add to that lovely list, as well as an extremely messed-up hand from the biting force. They also pretty commonly leave some teeth in the wound making the infection risk pretty high.
> 
> I believe an antivenom is being researched, using components from the lizard's liver, as they're immune to their own venom, but it's very ineffective - the line's basically being taken that as the bites are so rarely fatal, antivenom research is not top of researcher's priorities.


Fair enough, it makes sense that they have a good grip if they need to holds things for a while to be effective I suppose!


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

kenobi said:


> i worked in a zoo and had the pleasure of looking after a male Gila, he was very gentle, named him Speedy which was mocking him really as he was very slow.
> no know antivenom over here, and its not quite as simple as having a stock of it in case of a problem, your local hospital will probably not hold a store of it if you are not a zoo or a venom research facility, plus they have a shelf life of about 6weeks usually.
> wicked little critters, very fun to keep


I assume they must have a pretty fast strike though?


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

I keep a trio, male and two females and most of the time they are docile, however, there are times when I go to change their water they turn unexpectedly with their mouths wide open ready to launch at me. They normally warn you off first with a loud hissing noise, but when they want, they can move their heads quite fast.


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## Dave-Flames (Sep 20, 2006)

have you got them breeding??


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## physeptone (May 5, 2008)

*prescription only*

You couldnt get hold of antivenom (even if it existed) because it would be a prescription only medicine. 
Believe it or not but all snake venom is actually classed as a prescription only medicine. see here-
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

Also as someone already said it also has a really short shelf life even in the fridge which it would undoubtly need to be kept.

Gila monster venom has actually yielded a drug called 'exenatide' (Byetta(R)) already.... it is for diabetes. 
Exenatide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

Dave-Flames said:


> have you got them breeding??


Working on it as we speak..


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Would be nice to see how the breeding works out for you  I think they are amazing lizards.


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## Dave-Flames (Sep 20, 2006)

i badly wants one!!


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

snakekeeper , i dont want to be rude but have you got any pics of yours ? i would love to see them.

thanks
ismail


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

there is a guy that lives in guisbrough that keeps them - just cant think of his name! give Kat a call at north east exotic pets tel:01642 814440 i think she will know who i mean and might be able to get you in contact. If no such luck let me know and ill see what i can do!


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

I'm not looking at keeping any of these. Just wondering what experiences people had while keeping them


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Rather wicked looking aren't they.


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## Metal_face (Oct 2, 2008)

if anybody wants to see one in the flesh, vist cold blooded's new reptile "zoo" they have one on display :2thumb:


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## lizard queen (Jul 8, 2007)

the guys in the the zoo i working in just laid! baby gilas are gonna be so cute!


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## Dave-Flames (Sep 20, 2006)

the laying part is ok.. its the hatching part thats hard..


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## lizard queen (Jul 8, 2007)

well the eggs are doing good so far, gonna be a while before anything happens though


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## andybe18 (Sep 25, 2008)

they had a couple in Paradise Park last time I went - nice but too hardocre for me


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

reptismail said:


> snakekeeper , i dont want to be rude but have you got any pics of yours ? i would love to see them.
> 
> thanks
> ismail


Yes I think I do have a few snaps of them. I will try and upload them to my photobucket as I can't seem to upload any photos on here.


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## stacy (May 9, 2009)

i love these lizards worked with them in canada, a few year ago now, but iv been trying to get 1 for over a year and no look .


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## Josh-sama (Sep 26, 2008)

Scott over at CaptiveBred is breeding these little guys.
Gila Monster, Beaded Lizard, Heloderma collection @ CaptiveBred.co.uk


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## stacy (May 9, 2009)

Josh-sama said:


> Scott over at CaptiveBred is breeding these little guys.
> Gila Monster, Beaded Lizard, Heloderma collection @ CaptiveBred.co.uk


 just checked them out tried ring but goes to answer phone got some nice gilas tho:2thumb:


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## crouchy (Jan 14, 2008)

as far as im aware scott isnt breeding them this year


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## Dave-Flames (Sep 20, 2006)

he has two eggs but is keeping them!


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## stacy (May 9, 2009)

Dave-Flames said:


> he has two eggs but is keeping them!


 yeah spoke to some1 now he isnt selling any this year but is putting me in touch we some1 in germany:2thumb:


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## Scott W (May 19, 2007)

crouchy said:


> as far as im aware scott isnt breeding them this year


 
Your correct, I didn't put mine together this year.


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