it's so funny to me that people are afraid of them. They're so slow that you'd basically have to step directly on them in order to get bit. As long as you don't pick them up they're one of the more chill venomous animals.

as a type 1 diabetic i learned about these and instantly loved them they shed there pancreases after so many meals which is why they were trying to do a study to see if it could help cure diabetes

I am born and raised SoCal, and I am 58. When I was young we used to see these guys all the time just at the back of our property and out hiking. I still walk the hills by my house and it's been at least 20 years since I have seen one in the wild anywhere... between humans taking their habitat for themselves and all the wild fires we are missing MANY SPECIES: horned toads, several species of birds ( especially ground nesting and river bottom nesting birds, butterflies and bees have dwindled, hummingbirds, and even the number of predatory birds has dropped. I keep a water source on my unfenced portion of my property and plant lots of bird and butterfly friendly plants... but sadly "islands" are difficult for wildlife to travel too and as the cost of water rises more and more people let their yards die.😞

the quote on the gila monster’s venom on its wikipedia page has one of the the funniest descriptions of an animal I’ve seen: “I have never been called to attend a case of Gila monster bite, and I don't want to be. I think a man who is fool enough to get bitten by a Gila monster ought to die. The creature is so sluggish and slow of movement that the victim of its bite is compelled to help largely in order to get bitten."

You know you've spent enough time stalking Snake Discovery when you're momentarily surprised there's a video you haven't seen, and then realize it was released less than 10 minutes ago.

I was bitten by a Gila a few months back It was truly awful, I was handling a friends no gloves & it chomped on my left ring finger. We got him off quickly & it was still a small individual. But it was incredibly painful. Within the first 5 minutes the swelling started, and over the course of the next several hours the swelling reached upto my elbow. The pain was intense at first, radiating from the initial point of envenomation upwards. And it came in waves & the spread came every couple of inches as it spread. So finger knuckle, then wrist, then half way up the forearm, elbow & ending just below my shoulder. The pain for me was going within about 2 or 3 hours. And most pain was tenderness from swelling. Which especially came when I lowers my arm down to my side. Then it was throbbing. The nausea lasted from about 10 minutes in to about the same time the pain subsided. After about 4 hours, the swelling was the main symptom I had & it lasted about 2 days, and around day 2 it wasnt as noticable. But good lord, my arm swole about twice the size. I can see why someone would describe it as lava injected into your veins, but for me it wasn't that intense, but definitely the worst pain I've ever felt. In terms of pain it only felt maybe a scale higher than a yellow jacket or hornet. But I highly recommend not chancing it lol

I’m a native Tucsonan, and I’ve been fortunate to see one almost every year. The smaller ones will sometimes climb up a wall, but they usually casually walk on their way to find food. One way people get bitten is they think that because they walk slowly, they can be easily picked up; however, they can whip around quite fast to bite if they feel threatened. The best thing is to enjoy them from a distance and leave them alone.

The climbing habit might be where the 'leaping at you' myth came from. Imagine you're walking along a dessert canyon and a Gila monster falls on your head! Actually the poor thing just lost its grip and fell but ya know, animal with a bad rap, people make assumptions. So excited to see more of the great critters at Snake Discovery!

When I moved down to AZ for college a few years ago I asked some of my new AZ friends to go hiking and they had a whole lecture about how terrifying Gila Monsters were (they can leap at you, they leak toxins through their skin, they can spit venom at you, etc.) and that you shouldn’t hike around them at all. I found it pretty comical because I was the one not from AZ who was slightly worried about the rattlesnakes

It'd be cool to have midnight zoo nights where everyone could see the nocturnal animals

I get why many of these channels with zoos don't want to show all of their animals because they'd like you to visit and experience it for yourself but..I'm in the UK..and a student. Definitely not going to able to afford travelling over to the states anytime soon, these videos introducing new animals are like gold to me because there's no other way for me to know what's new

From seeing her clinging to the wall, I get the vibe that even if you didn't provide climbing opportunities, she'd make her own!

The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has these. I always loved the reptile room there, and the Gila monsters were always my favorite, because I was a little scared of them, but also was amazed.

Gila Monster, or as i call them, Danger Tegus. I love these lil guys, cute lil pug lizards. They are just so neat looking. Such a specific looking reptile.

Lived in Arizona my entire life and I have never seen a Gila Monster in the wild. Thanks for sharing all the cool facts about Sheila!

I love the names of their reptiles: Ally, Sharon, Sheila 😂 Except for Rex and Drax, they sound like a group of little old ladies

As an Arizona native, I have seen a few in my lifetime. When I was a kid they were often treated as being "incredibly dangerous" and many people would kill them thinking that they were immediate threats. Through the amazing work of our local wildlife groups, people have become a lot more educated on them. The link you dropped in the description for Friends of Saguaro is actually one of those amazing organizations here in Southern AZ. Great video as always Emily, thank you for further educating people on this amazing species! We are very proud to have it here :)

I grew up in Southern AZ about 5 min from Saguaro national park East and didn't see a gila in the wild until last year (at 33yrs old). It came into my mom's yard to get a slurp of water and take a surprise swim in a pond. Last year Saguaro East was also doing a gila monster count because of the heavy monsoon season that had the gila's coming out of the burrows regularly.

So in pokemon terms, it has a high defense and hp, but low attack and speed. Probably has the 'poison point' ability.

Honestly, when it comes to myths: For the longest time I thought Gila Monsters lost their toxicity in captivity, like Poison Dart Frogs.

I did a project on these guys in 1st grade and they have been my favorite lizard since! Thank you for doing this video

i feel like these are what inspired the lizards from Holes! i would totally visit the zoo if you weren’t 21 hours away!

Virtually adopting one of these guys is probably the safest way to "own" one, while also helping them as a species, I love programs that do this! My friend virtually adopted a Manatee in my name for my birthday last year, and it was the best gift ever, like I nearly started crying because I just love sea cows for much.

I've seen exactly one gila monster in the wild as an Arizona resident. While I was hiking up Camelback mountain, there was one sitting on a rock but being the popular hiking trail it is a bunch of people started looking at it and it got spooked and ran off. Thankfully no one was foolish enough to try and touch it.

Those gloves are the same ones I use when I give my cat his medicine, 10/10 recommend.

Their little hands are so adorable, I just cannot!! Thank you for sharing a little about Sheila, and I look forward o seeing her grow over time!

Hello ED and Emily, lol I have 3 Heloderma suspectum cinctum, all papered. They were my buckettlist animal. I first saw them in a book when I was 4yrs old, now 67. I have owned many venomous species thru-out the yrs. They simply captivating animals. Mine will be 3 yrs old in Nov 22. Will try to breed them next yr. Thanks for putting this vid out. I did learn something new though, I am going to try to teach mine to jump into my arms when I call them lol. Thank you so much for making this video. Hope to someday meet you guys when I am visiting my daughter in the twin cities, Take Care

My Aunt and Uncle lived in Arizona for a few decades. In the 70's and 80's they would tell us about seeing them strolling about in their back yard and on occasion would find one resting on the back porch. Of course they stayed in until they left the porch.

I wonder how fast the venom works to cause extreme pain. If it’s fast, then it would be strong protection to an individual animal. The bitten enemy would be too preoccupied by agony to further pursue the lizard as it slowly walked away. Many venoms and poisons don’t do their individual bearer much good if they are the first of their kind attacked by an enemy as they act too slowly. But responding to an attack by delivering immediate excruciating pain could save their lives.

I live pretty close to the desert so I get to see these beauties in the wild fairly regularly! I even had the joy of seeing a baby gila monster in my front yard around a year ago

I got to see Sheila a month ago when i got to drive up from Texas to visit the zoo! Was very cool meeting all the wonderful reptiles, as well as you guys

I'm from Arizona and it made me chuckle to hear Emily pronounce Saguaro National Park as Sag- waar-ro It's correctly pronounced suh - waa - row, same as the cactus.

Gina monsters are awesome I’m so happy y’all got one!

While living in Southern Arizona I took summer drive to cool off to Mount Lemon (southernmost ski area in the US). On the way down the mountain, a Gilda Monster was on the road. I pulled over hoping to coax it out of danger. IT CHASED ME all the way to my car. They’re capable of running MUCH faster than believed!

Sheila is so cute! Welcome to the zoo. I remember being fascinated by them as a kid.

there's was a Gila monster-like reptile in the Hell Creek Formation called "Palaeosaniwa", quite big (comparable to monitor lizards).

Emliy is amazing. She so clearly loves what she is doing and loves to share what she knows just because she really want to share it. Because she thinks its is so cool. Love how it shines out of her how much she loves what she is talking about and how she is so genuine excitede about all the animals. You, Ed, and every other person at discovery is wonderful too, thanks so much for your hard work, but I have a soft spot for how nerdy Emily is. And we see her the most soooo... 😊

She's so cute and seems to be such a good girl and she has an amazing home

I had no idea there were so many myths about gila monsters. I was lucky enough to see one just outside of St George, Utah several years ago. It was in the front yard of my cousin’s neighbor’s house. My mom caught it, fed it an egg or two, and released it further away from the houses. I hope it’s doing well.

I've lived in AZ all my life and I've only gotten 1 chance to see a gilla monster in the wild! We made sure to keep our distance but it was an incredible experience!

My understanding is Gila Monsters are pretty chill and generally fine to handle without the gloves. I've heard their bite is very painful if you do misread one, but the venom won't cause a necrotizing wound so there is that. In any case, they are a beautiful lizard.

Another amazing, educational video. I love this channel. Thanks Emily and Ed!❤️

I had no idea Gila monsters were native to the us, nor that they were this small! In my head they were in the same category as Komodos from the scant bits id heard about them. Thank you for this video!

I love watching you. I love how you take care of your animals.

I was trying to find a video then this happened so I clicked on this. The pins are so cute. I remember looking up this lizard and was always interested in them. I think I see them as a theme/water park in Florida. A boat ride kinda like the popeyes ride somewhere else. I don't know if it's the correct lizard but it looks really similar to that. It be a lizard that had dragon in the name, again. It's been a while so I ain't sure.

Gosh my day gets so much better when they post

I love that she looks like someone beaded her exterior. What a beautiful creature!

It's cool that we get a virtual tour for these little secrets of the zoo ! Specially for the ones that live far from the US 😅 thank you !!!

I’m so happy! Those animals are amazing!!

Awe That’s so amazing that you’d be talking about underrated animals! I love these and I wish everyone the best of luck seeing Emily&Ed! ^w^

Your such a big inspiration, thank you for being the best you tuber out there!

I love how you educate it keeps my focus and I learn so much from y'all! Thank you for your dedication and passion!

I remember as a kid going to a hotel in Phoenix Arizona and there was a Gila monster in the parking lot

I was howling with delight at her name before I even clicked. I love her; I will protect her with my life. I'll have to come say hi to her one day.

My hat is ready! I’m also bringing my two little siblings with me who now want a snake after I introduced them to you guys! Also bringing a gift! Look for a squid escorting a flying pig and taco!

I visited your zoo yesterday! I never thought that I would be able to come because I live so far away, but I’m so glad I got to meet You and Ed and see all of the animals I’ve been watching so long!

I went to the texas reptile zoo, and I saw these. They were absolutely beautiful! You were brave for doing that Ed! 😂

The one thing I remember being told as a kid was if you were bitten by a gila, the only way to remove them without tearing your flesh apart was to kill them. They would tell us that their jaw is too strong for anyone to remove it properly, and that we wouldn't have enough time to get to a hospital for help lol. I also remember them saying pink gilas were more venomous because it meant they were still very young

I love Gila Monsters! I did a report on them in 2nd grade because I thought they were just the coolest lizards ever. I'm 35 now, so it's been a while since I thought about that time period

My dad had one walk through his backyard a few years ago. Love them!

I remember watching wild kratts and learning about the gila monsters and I love them now.

Real earlyyyyy

I am LOVING the theme of goofy costumes and custom pins you guys have got going! Each design is too adorable to be allowed, and it’s a satisfying idea in much the same way as challenge coins but maybe even cooler!

I just donated to helping them. I love these creatures so much and have been since I was young. Gila monsters are amazing.

I’m so early!! I love y’all and all of your animals especially Cheyenne! She’s my favorite lol 😂 don’t tell the others. 😅

The gila monsters are awesome! Can't you also ultrasound them as well to determine the sex? They're super interesting and look awesome! Are you guys going to get any beaded lizards as well?

I love them! We went to Scottsdale every three months for 10 years and found them all the time!

I am a big fan I started watching u guys for 6 years and I live in San Diego

I’m not sure if you already have an Anole lizard in the zoo, but if you don’t I think having a couple would be a good idea. I just think their cute and adaptable.

Early

I never realized they have little grabby hands like that. That’s adorable

Being an Arizona native I would like to thank you for this video. I have only seen two Gila monsters in my life and in their natural environment they are extremely beautiful. I appreciate both of you for this.

You didn't really talk about their temperament but considering what you said about them, Gila Monsters seem layed back and easy going, which explains why people want them, but still defensive depending on the situation and their mood and personality. Of course that varies between individuals and I only have Sheila's behavior, which is chill except for one sassy clip, and your words.

Just realised I'd never heard "gila" said out loud before lmao I have always called them gill-ah monsters in my head This is like when I was little and loved reading more than talking so I messed up my pronunciations regularly haha

I’m happy that your starting to branch out on your species count

This was so worth the wait

I always found it fascinating in CA owning a Gila monster is illegal, but if you want to own a beaded lizard (close cousin and equally as venomous) many vendors sell them at reptile shows. I just found that weird why both species aren't allowed to have. I for one would never own a hot, but for those who do and have done the research it would be cool for them to have that opportunity ^^ Congrats on the cool new lizard ^^

Do you guys plan on getting a second one to help breed these lizards out of endangerment?

I used to be rather indifferent to reptiles until I found your channel 5 years ago. Now, I’m fascinated by reptiles and love them so much! Thank you for spreading knowledge and appreciation of these amazing creatures, Snake Discovery.

My friend suggested u guys to me and I have been watching you guys for three years now

Hi

General Question: Are Monitor lizards also venomous? I know that Komodo Dragons are but I cant remember if the other species are as well

These types of videos always make me feel like I’m a kiddo at one of Emily’s educational programs, but I always learn something new!

4:22 Ed, carefree and with the speed of a full-bore toddler, "I'll do it!" 🤣🤣🦎

Who else found out about this fantastic reptiles through the wild Kratts and they’re younger

I've always found that when an animal is considered venomous people assume it's a really dangerous animal and forget to consider how venomous it is. I grew up being told copperheads, timber rattlesnakes, and brown recluses are all deadly venomous animals, which caused me to be afraid of them as a child. Like if I got bit by any of these I would just kill over. When in fact, you have to go out of your way to get bit by one of these animals. Plus, if you seek medical treatment immediately for a bite you will be fine.

I love how excited you were talking about all the lizard facts!

Her videos are absolutely amazing

Gila monster: Haha! I am the only venomous lizard in the U.S. and I’m very big! I’m also called a “monster” FEAR ME!!! Komodo dragons: Pathetic

i live in Arizona and have actually seen one on a friends property it was under her house with eggs she had to call a snake removal guy to come move them to a better location (i believe he moved them to blm land ) but this is def a cool lizard

I have been lucky enough to see a Gila Monster in the wild on one of my visits to AZ. Me and my friends were up near Lake Pleasant when we saw one crossing the road.

people in the comments are so sweet. i love this community and i hope it can grow bigger and bigger

One time I was hiking out in the desert in my area and a Gila monster and her baby were basking on a rock! Another thing is that I just came back from a expo and bought an enclosure for my to-be banana ball python! Does anyone have name suggestions? (any gender)

2:43 It looks like there's a little heart on the side of her body

I love Gila Monsters! I'm so glad you got one :)

The way she was just drinking up the egg was so cute

A man in metro Denver just died after being bitten by his pet Gila. Keep wearing those gloves!

Thank you I always learn so much from you guys.

They can count!!! I love these guys!!!

Amazing 😍 always learn something new. Thank you !