The Gila monster is a poisonous lizard found in the United States and Mexico. It was once plentiful in the Gila River basin of Arizona. That is how the Gila monster got its name. The banded Gila monster and the reticulated Gila monster are the two kinds of Gila monster. It spends 95% of the time underground in burrows. The Gila monster stores fat like a camel does but it stores the fat in its tail. The Gila comes out at night and in early mornings. It is quite active after a thunderstorm.
Bird and reptile eggs are its chief food. Occasionally, it preys on small birds, mammals, and frogs. The Gila monster locates eggs under the ground with the aid of its acute sense of smell. The poison of this lizard is meant for defense. The Gila monster is brightly coloured, so enemies recognize it quickly and avoid it. A drug for diabetes has been isolated from the poison of the Gila monster.