Gila monster  (Heloderma suspectum)

Much of the bushland of the Gila monster's habitat has been cleared for agriculture and remaining populations are isolated in the resulting fragments that persist (2). Urban development and roads have also encroached on their habitat and many monsters are killed by common feral, or pet, species such as domestic cats and dogs (8). Some specimens are also still illegally collected for the pet trade (6).

Gila monsters are protected throughout their range, first receiving protection in 1952 in Arizona when they were the first venomous reptiles to receive such legislation (6). Over 300 individuals exist in captivity in the United States (7), and with greater understanding of these elusive lizards many of the common myths and superstitions around them have been surmounted (3). It is hoped that conservation measures will allow this a colourful desert-dweller to persist despite its depleted habitat.