GILA MONSTER: Discerning Fact from Fiction

A striking sight with her beaded skin of pink and black, Gila Monster blends well into her desert home in Arizona. This sluggish-seeming lizard intently flicks her tongue to detect a tasty mouse. At other times, She adroitly climbs the cactus with her sharp claws to hunt for perching birds. Tasting the air with her forked tongue, Gila Monster finds Desert Rat, and quickly chomps down with her vice-like jaws. Then She swallows her paralyzed victim whole and head first.

Gila Monster with her Brother – Mexican Beaded Lizard – are the only venomous lizards (Helodermatidae) in the world. Because of their venom and forked tongues, Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) and her Brother (Heloderma horridum ) are distant relatives of snakes. These two lizards are also close relatives to monitor lizards (Varanidae), who possess poisonous saliva, and could be ancestors of snakes. These two beaded lizards have an ancient ancestry, extending back to the mid-Cretaceous.

Contrary to popular belief, Gila Monster uses her venom for defense and not to hunt with. When She is angry, Gila Monster will open her mouth very wide and hiss. When She does this, her venom is pumped from her salivary glands into her grooved teeth. Thus when She bites Coyote, and clamps down hard, her venom flows into his wound. Locking her jaws, Gila Monster will hang on until Coyote howls in pain. After making her point, She then lets go. Learning his lesson, Coyote limps off.

Reclusive Gila Monster spends much of her time in her burrow. Digging deep with her heavy claws, She creates a snug home for herself. In the extreme heat of summer and cold of winter, Gila Monster rarely leaves it. The springtime is when She feasts. The rest of the year, Gila Monster lives off the fat contained in her large wide tail. (Her tail acts like a camel’s hump, storing food instead of water.)

Poorly understood, Gila Monster is the subject of many myths. More than that, these stories about Her are presented as facts. For example, Gila Monster does have powerful jaws and a tenacious bite. From this comes the legend, “Once She clamps her jaw on something, Gila Monster will not let go before sundown.” That is patently untrue. Other myths state that Gila Monster can kill with her bad breath, and has no anal opening. None of these silly stories are true, but they often get repeated as facts.

Another legend informs people that Gila Monster is a killer. Yes, her venom is toxic, but a human can easily avoid her bite. Old timers in Arizona say that only an idiot gets bitten. They add that said idiot would have to place Her on his bare leg, then annoy Her until Gila Monster bites. In other words, the said idiot would want to be bitten.

Sluggish in appearance, Gila Monster can suddenly turn and bite, usually when She senses a tasty meal. She warns those who would disturb Her, so that they leave Gila Monster alone. Separating fact from fiction is what Gila Monster teaches. Inspired by her tenacity, you can hang on for the truth. Before repeating something, discover whether it is false first. Some fiction comes disguised as the truth. Do not be an idiot counsels Gila Monster.

CAMEL FAMILY: Partnership

Today, the two branches of the Camel Family live on two different continents. Camels (Dromedary and Bactrian) live in the deserts of Eurasia. Llamas (Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco, and Vicuña) live in the high Andes Mountains of South America. The Camel Family (Camelidae) started in North America 40 million years ago. Some migrated to the high dry mountains of South America, while the rest migrated to the dry deserts of Asia.

Because of Camelids' remarkable ability to live in semi-arid areas, people domesticated Dromedary (one-humped) Camel, Llama, and Alpaca for food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. Many things make Camelids special. They can digest tough grasses and convert the grass to energy more efficiently than Sheep or Cows. Moreover, being the only Mammal with oval red blood corpuscles helps Camelids to thrive under harsh conditions. (Their blood helps them to breathe more efficiently.) Their large pads on the soles of their feet give Camelids traction on rocky and sandy soil. Camelids' tough, leathery footpads are broad enough to prevent Them from sinking in sand or snow.

Camelids have been in service to people for thousands of years. In Arabia, Dromedary Camel has provided transportation for people and their belongings. The Bedouins wove his wooly fleece into clothes and blankets. The Incas of South America raised Llamas to be their pack animals, and Alpacas for their wool.
Camelids are highly regarded by the people they serve. The Bedouins call Dromedary Camel, “Ata Allah” (God’s Gift). The Incas called Alpaca a gift from Mama Pacha, the Earth Mother--a gift loaned to humans for as long as They were properly cared for.

The Camel Family has been long known for their partnership with people. Learn cooperation and partnership from the Camel Family. Just do not resort to spitting to express yourself, as various Camelids are apt to do.