A Colorado man died after a Gila monster bite. Opinions and laws on keeping the lizard as a pet vary
Gila monsters are a type of lizard widely regarded for their striking color patterns and typically easygoing personality but they have a painful and venomous bite
A Colorado man who died after getting bitten by a Gila monster was hardly alone in having the gnarly looking lizard for a pet.
They're legal to own in most states, easily found through breeders and at reptile shows, and widely regarded for their striking color patterns and typically easygoing personality.
But while 34-year-old Christopher Ward's death Friday may have been the first from a Gila monster in the U.S. in almost a century, the creature's bite is well-known to be excruciating — and venomous. For that reason, some question the wisdom of keeping the species as pets.
“It’s like getting your hand slammed, caught in a car door," Arizona State University professor Dale DeNardo said of the lizard's bite. "Even that initial pain is extended for an hour. Then you get the typical days of soreness, throbbing pain. It’s much worse than any bee, wasp or scorpion.”
