Although Gilas are pretty laid back animals, they have been known to cause some horrific injuries to private owners, and, zoo/museum/university personnel. We have an older adult that is very laid back and I am able to free handle this animal, HOWEVER, I have been working with venomous herps for over 20 years professionally and I understand the risks I am taking - we also have other heloderms including beadeds and for the most part, the gloves go on when I work with them. Part of our protocol requires my staff to use Gentle Giant tongs (www.tongs.com) to move our heloderms when servicing their cages. Additionally, my staff are required to wear heavy gauntlets...no exceptions. There's really no need to free handle a gila. I've seen careless handling at many facilities and these are disasters waiting to happen....not to mention lawsuits to the institution. The worst handling I've seen has occurred at the university level - just very lax procedures that could spell disaster.

Bottom line: 1) if your wife does not feel comfortable handling the gila, she shouldn't be required to do so. 2) The person training your wife needs to be talked to by the department head...she's exposing her own staff to a high level of unnecessary risk 3) heavy gauntlet style gloves should be worn.

Gilas lull their owners into a false sense of security - they look lethargic, lazy, etc but if you catch one by surprise, or, on a bad day, they can move with alarming speed.

If you want me to talk to your wife's boss, I'd be happy to shoot her an email of our policies. I would just need a name and email.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
City of Lake Forest, IL


>>Hello,
>>
>>My wife just got a job on the UNLV campus as the animal caretaker for the muesum. They have a Gila on display and I was wondering if it was ok or recommended to handle him bare handed. The girl who is training her is teaching my wife to handle him bare handed. I have dealt with hot snakes but never a hot lizard and would never handle a hot snake bare handed. I do not trust the person training my wife 0.00 after hearing some of there snake husbandry techniques.
>>
>>Ken
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

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