Man dies after bite from pet Gila monster
A 34-year-old man from Colorado has died after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters.
It is believed the man may have suffered an allergic reaction four days after the bite from the venomous reptile, which is native to the south-west of the US.
The last recorded death from a Gila monster bite is believed to have taken place in 1930.
“I think this case highlights that any venomous animals should be respected,” said Dr Nick Brandehoff, a medical toxicologist and reptile expert with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation told CBS News.
While the bites are painful, scientists discovered 30 years ago that its venom can also be used to treat type 2 diabetes.
The Gila monster is the only venomous lizard living in the US. With its distinctive yellow and black skin, it can grow to two feet in length and live as long as 30 years.
Some states ban the ownership of Gila monsters completely, while others allow captive-bred reptiles to be kept as pets.
According to Reptile Rapture, a Wisconsin store specialising in exotic creatures, a Gila is normally docile, but it can lead owners into a false sense of security.
The venom is not deadly to a healthy adult human.
Sometimes, the only way to get the lizard to release its hold may be to submerge it in water or squirt hand sanitiser in its mouth.
Such is their size that they need a big enclosure, such as a cattle trough, and the reptiles’ ideal bedding is a mixture of sand and earth.
“Gila monsters are for the advanced keeper. Yet they make nice pets for those who know how to properly care for them,” the store advises.
“There are very few kept as pets nowadays,” Miah Hall, the store manager, told The Telegraph.
