Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok, I do not own any Gila monsters or beadeds but I love looking at the pictures on the forum and I was wondering...do any of you ever handle your guys? I of course realize that they are poisonous but I know that many rattlesnake owners regularly handle their creatures. just curious because I have yet to see a picture on this forum in which someone is holding their liz. thanks for answering this kinda silly question.

I regularly handle my Gilas, but always with leather gloves and caution. The best thing that happened to me was when I was unboxing my first Gila purchase, and one of the animals quickly turned her head and bit the thumb of the glove. I removed my hand but watched her clamp down on that glove for 5-10 minutes before letting go, and the tooth marks penetrated the glove, and the saliva/venom are still stained and dried on the glove. That told me I never want to take a chance on being bit, and I respect immensely how quickly they can turn and bite. Since then, I've never had one even try to bite, but I'm taking no chances.

I handle them only when necessary. These are not huggie kissie creatures. In fact, they pretty much loathe being touched. I do occasional health checks and may need to scrub some loose skin, so I handle them then. I also use mine for presentations since I am a park ranger, so I carefully transfer them to their mobile digs with the help of cardboard. If you get the center of a roll of paper at a printers, you can entice the first half of the gila in there, grab the base of the tail and pick up the gila, tube and all. The tube prevents the gila from turning around. Once you've got the gila where you want it, simply tilt the tube up and the gila will slide right thru! This method is so handy that it is a part of written protocol here at work.

Rattlesnake handlers that handle their rattlers with their hands are not the norm and are pretty much playing with their lives in my opinion. (and I DO have one, so I've got a basis for my opinion).

... but I know that many rattlesnake owners regularly handle their creatures...

Handling a rattlesnake is stupid, in ANYONE'S book, unless they are using tooks (tongs, hooks, restraining tubes, etc!) Do NOT equate people who free-handle rattlesnake to be the norm!

As for handling heloderms. they can bite, and often do, but they do not move or act like snakes, and therefore, being bitten is rather more difficult. Of course you must be careful, but they can be handled, literally, with relative ease.

Its been our experience that Beaded lizards are more fractious than gilas. Its also been our experience that one of our male gilas and his offspring are more fractious than our other more laid-back male. Makes me wonder if breeding temperament in reptiles could be likened to breeding temperament in mammals (i.e. dogs.)