DesertUSA)
"CAUTION:"Gila Monsters are one of only two species of seriously venomous lizards!..."
That might explain why you don't see more gila monsters kept as pets.
There's more to the article, like:
"Range
"Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of extreme southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, Arizona and southwestern New Mexico into Mexico.
"Habitat
"Desert and semiarid regions of gravelly and sandy soils with shrubs. Found under rocks, in burrows of other animals and in holes it digs itself...."
The article only mentions gila monsters in the American southwest, but the critters live in northern Mexico, too. Don't give DesertUSA a hard time, though. Their 'about' page says they're "A comprehensive resource about the North American deserts and Southwest Destinations." On the other hand, it's pretty obvious that the website's interested in tourism promotion in the American southwest.
It's like where I live, Minnesota. Tourism promoters for Minnesota don't go out of their way to point out that you'll find pretty much the same sorts of fish in the lakes of Wisconsin and - believe it or not - North Dakota.
There are lakes in North Dakota?
ReplyDeleteBrigid,
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The one I'm most familiar with is Devils Lake (www.devilslakend.com). A better translation of its name, I've been told, would be "Spirit Lake" - but we're stuck with that bit of 19th century cultural myopia. The name derives, I'm pretty sure, from the fog and mists that are very common there. On a still day, it can look like there are spirits walking on the water. Hence the name.