The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-08-11
EAREoNA'S UGLY REPTILE
HABITS OF THE FrERcE AND uN-
CANNX 0IIA MONSTER.
rts Bite is Dangerous, and Men Have
Died From Wounds inflicted by
IT, Becoming Scarce.


ITYHE Gila monster is reptile
: concern1ng which much has
been said and lots OF little
q stories have been written, but
its habits, nevertheless, are not well
known, even where IL is most frequent
~ found. II was no uncommon sight
in former years to see Mexican and In
3 dian boys trailing the hideous things
at the ends OF strings along the streets
OF towns and settlements in Arizona,
taking care always to keep their bare
feet out of the way of the uncanny-
looking lizard. Sometimes, too, Gila
: monsters, strapped to board like
planked shad, would be offered for sale
at prices ranging from q medic (5i
y sss:;.s, sss:.s=, &c :: .os.on fifty cents, viii,
few or no buyers. In the event that
nobody wanted to increase his menag-
erie with one of the wicked looking
beasts; it was generally stoned to death
: by its owners as n protest against its
general usefulness
Several years ago Gila monsters be-
came somewhat in demand for Eastern
collectors, and stuffed or in the flesh
they command bettor prices now,
large specimens, presumably wanted
for geological gardens, being paid for
at good figures. Strangely enough,
since the interest in tho reptile has
grown it has become somewhat scarce.
Whatever may have been said about
tho looks of the Gila monster. it is
repulsive. crawling, uncanny reptile,
perhaps not 80 ugly rs many another
liyard-the igunna, for instanco-but
ifstinctively abhorrcd because it is 80
# slow. Flight bein3a matter of impos-
sility with tho Gila monster, and IA it
lacks the cunning to fcign death, it
must necessarily assume bold front
when threatened with capture or in.
Jury, and that it knows how to do in n
manner which will make even those
totally ignorant Of tho danger thcy
run careful of too close nh approach.
The length of the monstnvS usually
captured varies from ono foot to two
feet and few inches, but specimens II
foot and half in length arc those
most generally brought in. OF this
the big conical tail forms one third.
Tho weight will average from three to
five pounds Tho hoad is moro luncc-
shaped than that OF my other lizard
found in Arizona, the consequences be-
ing that tho narrow neck is very pro-
nouncod and imparts to tho head
whilo it moves something very much
like tho rattlesnnkc's performance.
When attacked tho Gila monster re-
treats tsubout half it's length md crouchcs
close to the ground, but roaring
head and neck in n fierce manner, Will,
black, forked tongue, over M inch il
length, darts swiftly out of moutl
abnormally wide and chvcrnous. Al
tho same time it emits hiss. Jointly
with crcakin8 noiso which is made
by scraping either it's claws, which arc
pointed and sharp, or the rough scale.
ss~.its- lac''r-""nn TIN" stones or gravel
fails to rcpulse the aggrnssor tho Gih
monster will not hesitate, whcr
thoroughly an&ored, to make SNIP II
the Too, 10 il man or beast But i
will never attack anything that it doo
not require for food unless first inter.
fercd with. If cIcapc be near in tn,
shape of IL burrow in tho ground or u
hole in tho rocks large enough for its
accommodation, the monster will dis
creetly retro from Wow and rcmnir
hidden until tho enemy hns retired.
If the reptile manages tn get q grip
with it's horny mouth, ns hard AN
aud filled with sharp, ncchlc-liko teeth,
upon the yielding flesh of an ngsrcs
sor, tho vicc-likc Jaws can only l.:
pricd apart by great muscilnr action
with some instruments The wound.
show al the indications OF blood
poisoning by means OF venom, thi
limbs swell, failure of tho nsrvou.
EysSoin becomes ap.:ar"ct, and deetl
Iay er.sus unleDs prompt Lsc.lioal -
cas<Al.sS svinSs relief.
fiAo story :ast tho bite ot shs 90;
~"n.ta- "a tSeuEsbls y Aes.s Hsa y.
help must he obtained quickly, a4
several well authenticated cases have
proved. Curiously enough, in the
case OF men who have been bitt,n, it
was found that those who were strictly
temperate recovered fur more quickl,
than those who were in tho habit o
taking stimulants. 1t turned out also
that. unlike many cases in which bite.
had nccu inflicted Dy vcnomous snakcs
of the North American species, whisky
did not act as m nntidotc ut MI
rather Hggravating the symptoms.
T.. l.. Wctmorc, tnxidermst o
Tucson, who has dissected mnLy OF
these lizards, says he has been unHbi,
to discover. where tho venom which
they undoubtedly inject into the
wounds they produce comes from. In
poisonous snakes it cxu.lcs from sacs
above the fangs. but i'll the Giln mon.
ster the closest investigation has failed
to show any such glands connected
with the teeth. Undoubtedly it is the
saliva of the monster, lubricating it:
sharp incisor5, that produces the
chemical change in the blood. Fol-
that reason it is believed that in the
salivnry glands the venom will be
found, but that is the extent of what
Is known of the Giln monsters danger
GUS power.
BY reason OF its slowness the mon
ster's diet is necessarily limited. 1t i
climber, and as such has no difficult,
in robbing nests in which there ar
eggs or helpless young. 1t will alsc
investigate the warrens Of chipmunk