#helodermatidae

Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum), family Helodermatidae, southern AZ, USA

Mildly venomous.

A gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) in the USA

Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti) in Zacapa, Guatemala

Gila monsters may look ferocious, but they’re really quite lazy. These lizards spend most of their day soaking up the sun to maintain their internal temperature, and a group of them is called a lounge.

(Image: A lazy gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) by the National Park Service of the United States)

The Guatemalan Beaded Lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti), the rarest species of Heloderma and one of the most endangered species of lizard in the world.

This prehistoric looking lizard is endemic to the Motagua Valley in Zacapa. For many years it was almost driven to extinction because of the fear it caused in locals.

This is a young specimen (around 3 years old) photographed at the Reserva Natural para la Conservación del Heloderma y el Bosque seco. When the reserve first started 15 years ago, it was believed that only around 250 H. charlesbogerti remained in the wild.