Tag: Gila Monster

Posted on

Wild About Monsters

Wild About Monsters: Gila Monster Sunning, Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer
Gila Monster Sunning
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer
Gila Monster Sensing with Tongue Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer
Gila Monster Sensing with Tongue
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Wild About Monsters: Gila Monster at Den, Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Gila Monster at Den
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Wild About Monsters: Gila Monster Under Sage, Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Gila Monster Under Sage
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Wild About Monsters: Gila Monster Up to Size, Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Gila Monster Up to Size
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

The excitement in her voice could not be more obvious as I answered her call. “Dad, there’s a Gila Monster walking down the middle of my jogging trail right now”. She was only a few minutes away so I ask her to follow it until I could get there. I arrived in time to film it wading through the desert grasses as it made its way back to its den. It’s always a good day when you see a Gila Monster in the wild. Monster sightings are not common in the Southwest corner of Utah even though they are quite abundant in this portion of the Mojave Desert. There’s a reason encounters with these beaded citizens of the desert are uncommon. They can spend more than 90% of their lives underground. Their activity is mostly limited to a few weeks in early Spring, and they generally emerge to forage in late evening, returning to their dens at dawn. Because of their exceptionally slow metabolism, they can survive on as few as three or four large meals a year. Those meals converted into fat, stored primarily in their tails, allows them to spend 10- or 11-months estivating (hibernating) out of sight, in their dens.

Despite their fierce reputation Gila Monsters are shy nonthreatening creatures. I have had them walk across my sandal clad feet on more than one occasion. If hassled these monsters will open their mouth and hiss loudly as a warning, but to get bitten by one would require handling it. They have venom, but lack a mechanism to inject it, so they must flood their mouth with the venom, filling grooved teeth by capillary attraction. They then must chew it into their prey. A Gila Monster bit should receive medical attention, but despite the legends we have all heard to the contrary, there is no reputable record of human death associated with Gila Monster envenomation. To the contrary, the saliva of Gila Monsters contains a compound called exendin-4, which has been synthesized into a drug used successfully to treat type 2 diabetes. This is a prime example of how the study of wildlife can lead to significant contributions to human wellbeing. It underscores the need to protect and preserve wildlife of all kinds. The Gila Monster is the official Utah state reptile, and they enjoy legal protection here and, in every state, where they occur. (CA, NV, UT, NM & AZ)

Several years ago, I had the rare opportunity of filming a Gila Monster excavate and consume four tortoise eggs from the apron of a tortoise den. The entire time a female tortoise stood inches away and observed the carnage without moving a muscle. I found myself wishing I knew how to communicate with tortoises so I could scream out “good grief mother, do something to protect your young”. Times like this create a moral dilemma. Do I intervein in this situation or let nature take its course. On this day I chose the latter.

I’m Professor Marshall Topham and I’m wild about Utah’s Gila Monsters

Credits:

Images Courtesy & Copyright
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Friend Weller, https://www.upr.org/people/friend-wellerCourtesy & Copyright © Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
Text: Marshall Topham, https://ees.utahtech.edu/faculty-staff/
Additional Reading: Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah pieces by Marshall Topham https://wildaboututah.org/author/marshall-topham/

Gila Monster, Fieldbook of Utah Species, Utah Division of Wildlife Services, Utah Department of Natural Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=heloderma%20suspectum

Jolley, Faith Heaton, A rare sighting of the elusive Gila monster, Wildlife Blog, Utah Division of Wildlife Services, Utah Department of Natural Resources, March 28, 2019 https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/wildlife-blog/580-a-rare-sighting-of-the-elusive-gila-monster.html

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Washington County & US Bureau of Land Management, http://www.redcliffsdesertreserve.com/

Posted on

Southwestern Utah Herps

Southwestern Utah Herps: Gila Monster, Courtesy Pixabay
Gila Monster
Courtesy Pixabay

Gila Monster Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer Gila Monster
Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer

Gila Monster Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer Gila Monster
Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer

Gila Monster Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer Gila Monster
Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer

Desert Tortoise - Right of Hat Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer Desert Tortoise – Right of Hat
Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer

I’m going to go beyond birds a few hundred million years to their precursors, who thrived long before our feathered mini-dinosaurs evolved. These ancient beings continue to thrive to this day, which lured 14 USU students and I to join them in the Mojave wilds of southwestern Utah.

We camped at the Gunlock State Park, where a Utah DWR herpetologist joined us for several hours, who appeared to know every scaly and slimy critter within a 10-mile radius.
A few highlights came when a Smith’s Black headed snake was discovered beneath a cow paddy, about the size of a large worm. No one thought it possible to find such a tiny, shy being, unless you’re flipping cow poo! Other popular reptiles were the small, delicate banded gecko and the diminutive, invasive Pacific tree frog.

Saturday was spent in Snow Canyon State Park where we were entertained by Cheyenne, a young SUU student naturalist, who kept us riveted with stories on some of the more iconic herp residents. She was emphatic on how to keep the reptiles safe from park visitors and ravens. “If a tortoise is crossing the road, please help it to the other side in the same direction it’s headed. Otherwise, never pick them up for they may release stored water, which could mean their death from dehydration. She also cautioned us on leaving the trail, for the desert tortoise spends much of it’s life in its labyrinth of burros. “Your footstep could cause a collapse, entombing the animal.”

Next, Cheyenne pulled a fully mounted Gila monster from her magical tub. Oohs and ahhs were audible, the penultimate reptile. She enthralled them with its life history, spending up to 95% of its life underground, often in tortoise burrows, emerging during the spring months for mating and feeding. It may eat 1/3 of its weight in one meal, consisting of bird, tortoise, and snake eggs and young, young mammals, carrion, and whoever else smells delicious and small enough to fit in its ravenous maw. Many of the calories are stored in its tail, which nourishes the animal for much of the year. Amazingly, Gila monster venom is used for diabetes and obesity treatment. Asked if she had seen a Gila monster. “No, but it’s at the top of my list!” she said.

Following a Cheyenne led hike, we continued the herp search beyond the park boundary. A tortoise discovery brought considerable excitement and photos, a rare siting! But that was overshadowed a half hour later when a Gila monster decided to present itself to myself. I began shouting “monster” hoping to rein in the dispersed crew. They came scrambling through the creosote bushes in disbelief. We immediately sent a text to Cheyenne with the coordinates, hoping she would see her first Monster in the wild! Never have I witnessed more excitement in my students, a surreal moment. I must check with Cheyenne on her success in finding the monster!

The Gila monster is considered near threatened by the IUCN from habitat loss and pet trade. In Utah it is illegal to handle Gila monsters without a permit.

This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society and I am Wild About Utah and its herps

Credits:

Images: Courtesy Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/gila-lizard-dragon-reptile-monster-5536750/
Additional images Courtesy & © Jack Greene, photographer
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Anderson, Howe and Wakeman,
Also includes audio Courtesy & © J. Chase & K.W. Baldwin
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Lyle Bingham and Jack Greene, Author, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Wild About Utah pieces authored by Jack Greene

Smith’s Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi, Field Guide, Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Division of Natural Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=tantilla%20hobartsmithi

Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum, Field Guide, Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Division of Natural Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=heloderma%20suspectum

Mojave Desert Tortoise Gopherus agassizii, Field Guide, Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Division of Natural Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=gopherus%20agassizii

Western Banded Gecko – Coleonyx variegatus https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=coleonyx%20variegatus

Don’t keep illegal reptiles – including desert tortoises – or release pet reptiles, fish into wild, St George News, Sept 5, 2021, https://archives.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2021/12/05/prc-dont-keep-illegal-reptiles-or-release-pet-reptiles-fish-including-desert-tortoises-into-wild

A Ranger Moment: SUU student Cheyenne Mitchell speaks at OES, March 20, 2023 – by Jacob Horne, SUU News, Student Media, Southern Utah University https://suunews.net/2023/03/20/a-ranger-moment-suu-student-cheyenne-mitchell-speaks-at-oes/

Ask a herpetologist, Megen Kepas, Wildlife Blog, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/wildlife-blog/1692-ask-a-herpetologist.html

Smith’s Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/28499-Tantilla-hobartsmithi
Information about the Smith above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart_Muir_Smith

Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9865/13022716

Posted on

Desert Animals-Extreme Survivors

Desert Animals-Extreme Survivors: Collared lizard, Photo Courtesy US FWS, Lawrence Gamble, Photographe
Collared lizard
Photo Courtesy US FWS
Lawrence Gamble, Photographer

Kangaroo Rat
Photo Courtesy US FWS
George Harrison, Photographer

Gila Monster
Photo Courtesy & © Daniel D. Beck
Central Washington University

Couch’s Spadefoot Toad
Photo Courtesy US FWS
Gary M. Stolz, Photographer

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension. Desert Animals-Extreme Survivors

The three main deserts of Utah- the Great Basin to the west, the Colorado Plateau to the east, and the Mojave Desert in the southwest corner of the state- are each inhabited by animals that have unique adaptations for surviving the extreme heat, dryness, and sometimes cold temperatures of the desert.

Many animals survive in Utah’s deserts through behavioral adaptations. During the heat of the day, most animals can be found underground in burrows, or simply sitting in the shade of a shrub or tree. Reptiles, such as the desert tortoise and gila monster, spend almost all of their time in a burrow or under a rock. Many birds and mammals are most active near dawn and dusk when temperatures are coolest, yet there is enough light to see. Many bats, snakes, and rodents are nocturnal, and are only active at night!

Morphological adaptations, related to the shape or color of an animal’s body, are also important for living in the desert. The collared lizard has long legs and toes that keep its body away from the hot ground, reducing heat absorption. White-tailed antelope ground squirrels will use their bushy tails as a shade umbrella, and the long ears of the jackrabbit aid in dispersing body heat.

The kangaroo rat has perhaps the most amazing combination of adaptations for desert survival. Not only does it live in a burrow and is nocturnal, but it recaptures it’s own body moisture by storing food within its burrow. Dry seeds absorb moisture from the kangaroo rat’s breath, which condenses more readily in the cooler underground temperatures.

Physiological adaptations relate to a change in body function to aid survival in the desert. The kangaroo rat has such complex kidneys that it is able to retain as much water as possible. It also has specialized tissues in its nasal passages that help it retain much of the moisture that is normally lost through breathing. If the desert gets too hot, many animals will aestivate, which is similar to hibernating, but is usually in response to a lack of water rather than a lack of food. The spadefoot toad spends 10-11 months out of the year buried in the soil, only to emerge to breed and feed during summer rainstorms.

So, while at first glance, it may look like there isn’t much life in the desert, keep in mind that the vast array of adaptations help ensure the survival of a high diversity of plants and animals in such a harsh ecosystem.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:
Images: Courtesy US FWS images.fws.gov
            Courtesy & Copyright Daniel D. Beck, Central Washington University
Text:     Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.


Additional Reading:

Utah’s Desert Dwellers: Living in a Land of Climate Extremes. Wildlife Review. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
wildlife.utah.gov/wr/0706desert/0706desert.pdf

Deserts. James MacMahon. The Audubon Society Nature guides. 1985. https://www.amazon.com/Deserts-National-Audubon-Society-Nature/dp/0394731395

Natural History of the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin, Harper, St. Clair, Thorne, and Hess (Eds.), 1994. https://www.amazon.com/Natural-History-Colorado-Plateau-Great/dp/0870815113

The Biology of Deserts, David Ward, Oxford University Press, 2009. https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Deserts-Habitats/dp/0199211477