| The Gila Monster Heloderma
suspectum (pronounced Hee'-la) is one of only two species of venomous lizards (It's
cousin the Mexican Beaded Lizard is the other). With its generally sluggish behavior and
benign disposition, it nonetheless must be treated with caution. It can bite quickly and
hold on tenaciously. The bite of Heloderma suspectum, while not considered
lethal, is very painful and should be considered a medical emergency. Rather than injecting venom through hollow fangs like venomous snakes, Gilas have
enlarged, grooved teeth in their lower jaw. When they bite, their powerful jaws chew the
venom in through capillary action along the grooves in these teeth. Gila monster venom is
about as toxic as that of a western diamondback rattlesnake. However, a relatively small
amount of venom in introduced in a Gila bite.
Two subspecies are recognized: the southern subspecies, the Reticulated
Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum suspectum) and the northern subspecies, the
Banded Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum cinctum).
On an interesting note, a component of Gila monster venom called
Exendin-4 is currently being investigated as a promising new drug to treat type 2
diabetes. This peptide stimulates the secretion of insulin in the presence of elevated
blood glucose levels. It also has the effect of slowing gastric emptying. Phase I clinical
studies have recently begun with this exciting investigational drug. |
