Beaded Lizard

Heloderma horridum

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing beaded lizards. For a long time, only two living lizard species were described as venomous: the gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard. As of this recording, there are five lizards in the Heloderma genus, all of which are venomous! Since we discussed the gila monster in a separate video, this episode will focus on the four other beaded lizard species.

Beaded lizards get their common and scientific name from their skin. They look like they're covered in beads! These reptiles live throughout Mexico and Guatemala in dry tropical forest habitats. They’re most active in the morning and evening but become more active during the rainy season throughout the summer months. Beaded lizards walk on the ground and climb trees for food and shelter. During rainy months, these lizards hide in tree hollows. Like the prehensile tailed skink we’ve discussed previously, beaded lizards may use their semi-prehensile tail to hold onto tree branches while they climb. They can go weeks without eating and may remain in a hideout until they get hungry.

Though beaded lizards are venomous, they don’t use their venom to subdue prey. They eat easy-to-catch meals like bird and reptile eggs, nestlings, and mice. They locate their food using their pink, forked tongue which can “smell” the air. A beaded lizard’s tail stores fat, so a well-fed individual can look like it’s dragging a sausage behind it! Beaded lizards do not drop their tails, and they will not grow back if lost. These lizards are larger than gila monsters and have longer tails. Their tail makes up about half their body length which is more than two feet (61cm) long! On average, they weigh just under two pounds (907g). Male beaded lizards are larger than females. This likely aids them in combat.

Beaded lizards are endurance machines. They’ve been observed walking the distance of nearly two miles (3.2km) for four consecutive hours. Male beaded lizards fight each other for breeding rights. These matches consist of two males rearing up and attempting to push each other on their backs. These matches can take hours. They may fight for more than half a day! Males fight each other during the fall and breed towards the end of the season. Females gestate for six to eight weeks before laying two to twenty-two eggs in a burrow. Here they’ll remain until the rainy season starts in summer about seven to nine months later. Beaded lizards are believed to reach reproductive maturity around two years of age and they live to be 30 or older!

Threats to adult beaded lizards include snakes, caracara , and hawks. Their eggs may be predated by raccoons, foxes, skunks, and more. Humans also pose a threat to beaded lizards, but the bite from a beaded lizard causes severe pain, bruising, nausea, diarrhea, and potentially paralysis that could lead to death. Beaded lizards deliver their venom by holding on tight and chewing. The longer they can hold, the more venom they can inject. Something cool to note, though, is that the venom comes from their lower teeth!

For more facts on beaded lizards, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!