Walt46 ran again with the Gila Monster theme, This time as a Havana based Gila.

Having once owned a real Gila Monster back in my days as a youth in Tucson, Trying to envision the thick tailed critter all so colorfully dressed. Plus would like to envision this Gila Lass pre-Castro.

Plus an interesting fact, Gilas have no solid set pattern, they vary. AND being one of two poisonous lizards, the other being the Mexican Beaded Lizard, which basically is like the Gila, but with more blotches than bands and more solid in color. AND unlike a snake which strikes and injects the venom in you. The Gila clamps down hard on you and must chew to get the venom in you. The poison sacs are in the lower jaw. And having been bit once by a Gila, its best described as vice grips with teeth that clamp harder each time you squirm. The event I was bit was when I was fishing for a golf ball in tall grass and got nailed. I literally jumped into a water hazard and held the lizard underwater in order to have it let go of me. But I still rescued the lizard and brought it to dry land because they are endangered. And the venom felt like somebody injected gasoline in my veins. I literally could feel it go up my arm with a burning sensation and when it hit my heart, I could feel the burn spread throughout my body. My hand swelled to twice its thickness and hard. I literally could hammer nails into wood with it. Two days later the swelling went down and it just hurt like a bitch another couple days.

I then learned to firmly grasp the lizard from underneath and firmly grip around the neck. For they can turn their head 90 degrees easily. Another fun fact is that they are studying Gila venom enzymes as a form of diabetes control.