The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-28
AN UGLY CREATURE.
The Venomous ella Monster Of
Arizona.
Although Many Fabulous Stories Are Told
About the Strange Reptile 1t Is In
Reality Very Fierce and
Deadly.

1lO I1OuSIOE 10 d IODIl1S COh-
corning which much has been said and
lots of little stories have been written,
but its habits, nevertheless, are not
well known, even where it is most fire.
quently found. 1t was no uncommon
sight in former years, says the San
Francisco Chronicle, to see Mexican
and Indian boys trailing the hideous
things at the ends of strings along the.
streets of towns and settlements of
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 planlSed shad, would be offered
for sale at prices ranging from medic
to a toston fifty cents, with few or
no buyers. In the event that nobody
wanted to increase his menagerie with
one of the wicl1ed-looking beasts, it
was generally stoned to death by its
owners as protest against its general
uselessness.
Several years ago gila monsters be-
came somewhat in demand for eastern
collectors, and stuffed or in the flesh
they command better prices now, large.
specimens, presumably wanted for
geological gardens, being paid for at
good figures. Strangely enough, since
the interest in the reptile has grown it
has become somewhat scarce. In fact,
the capture of one and it's transition
to wire rat trap in the shop of taxi
dermist in an Arizona town Is consid-i
cred worthy of an item by the local re-
porter. No sooner has the news of the
distinguished arrival been heralded
than it is gravely inspected by every
tenderfoot in town, who posters its
owner with so many darn fool" ques-.
tions that he is glad to hide his ac-
QUESTION in the back yard.
Most of the fabulous stories circu-
lated about the gila monster have had
their origin in the minds of the curio
sellers, who were thus bored to death
by the seeker after information who
was not willing to buy something and
thus recoup the business man for his
loss of time and the ennui that an
swering greenhorns produced.
Whatever may have been said about
the looks of the gila monster, it is a
fact that it is repulsive, crawling, I'M
canny reptile, perhaps not so ugly as
many another lizard-the iguana, for
instance-but instinctively abhorred
because it is so slow. Flight being a
matter of impossibility with the gila
monster, and as it lacks the cunning to
feign death, it must necessarily as
sumo a bold front when threatened
with capture or injury.
The length of the monsters usually
captured varies from one foot to two
feet and few inches, but specimens a
foot and half in length are those
most generally brought in. Of this the
big, conical tail forms one-third. The
weight will average from three to five
pounds. The head is more lance
shaped than that of any other lizard
found in Arizona, the consequence be-
ing that the narrow neck is very pro-
nounced and imparts to the head
while it moves something very much
like the rattlesnake's performance.
When attacked the gila monster re-
treats about half his length and
crouches close to the ground, but rear
ing head and neck in a fierce manner,
while black, forked tongue over an
inch in length, darts swiftly out of a
mouth abnormally wide and cavernous.
At the same time it emits hiss, joint
ly with a creaking noise, which is
made by scraping either its claws,
which are pointed and sharp, or the
rough scales of it's body upon the
stones or gravel beneath it. If this
demonstration fails to repulse the ag-
gressor the gila monster will not hest
tate, when thoroughly angered, to
make snap at the foe, be it man or
beast. But it will never attack any
thing that it does not require for food
unless first interfered with. If escape
be near in the shape of burro in the
ground or a hole in the rocks large
enough for it's acco mmodation, the
monster will discreetly retire from
view and remain hidden until the
enemy has retired.
If the reptile manages to get grip
with it's horny mouth, as hard and cut
ting as that of swapping turtle and
filed with sharp needle-like teeth,
upon the yielding flesh of an aggressor,
the vice-like jaws can only be pried
apart by great muscular action with
some instrument. The wounds show
all the indication of blood poisoning
by means of venom, the limbs swell,
failure of the nervous system becomes
apparent, and death may ensue, unless
prompt medical assistance brings re-
lief
The story that the bite of the gila
monster is incurable is not true, but
help must be obtained quickly, as sew
eral well-authenticated cases have
proved. Curiously enough, in the case
Of men who have been bitten, it was
found that those who were strictly
temperate recovered far more quickly
than those who were in the habit of
taking stimulants. 1t turned out also
that, unlike many cases in which bites
had been inflicted by venomous snakes
Of the North American species, whisky
did not act as an antidote at all, rather
aggravating the symptoms.
A taxidermist of Tucson who has
1issected many of these lizards, says he
IL l. II.