gila monster (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

gila monster

Heloderma suspectum

Summary ³

The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum, /ˈhiːlə/ HEE-lə) is a species of venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. A heavy, slow-moving lizard, up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) long, the Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States and one of only two known species of venomous lizards in North America, the other being its close relative, the Mexican beaded lizard (H. horridum). Though the Gila monster...

Range description ⁴

The Gila Monster occurs in southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It ranges from extreme southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, and adjacent southeastern California south through southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and much of Sonora to extreme northern Sinaloa, Mexico (Stebbins 2003). The core of the range is in Arizona and Sonora. Its elevational range extends from near sea level in Sonora and 30 m in Arizona to at least 1,545 m in southeastern Arizona (Lowe et al. 1986), and 1,180 to 1,950 m in New Mexico (Degenhardt et al. 1996).

Iucn red list assessment ⁵

Red List Category

Near Threatened

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2007

Assessor/s

Hammerson, G.A., Frost, D.R. & Gadsden, H.

Reviewer/s

Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Near Threatened because this species is probably in significant decline (but probably at a rate of less than 30% over three generations), especially because of habitat loss throughout much of its range, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable under criteria A2, A3 and A4.

History

1996

Vulnerable
1994

Vulnerable

(Groombridge 1994)
1990

Vulnerable

(IUCN 1990)
1988

Vulnerable

(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986

Vulnerable

(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Fuentes y créditos

(c) Patrick, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/58001156@N00/4922384782
(c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=548&one=T
(c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heloderma_suspectum
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28145194
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28145193