So you’ve made the plunge into keeping a venomous lizard? Congratulations!
Now comes the painstaking months of tolerance training! For those who are unaware, the family of Helodermatidae, is a family of large, terrestrial lizards found in the southwestern regions of North America and into Central America. Oh, and they happen to be venomous!
Within this family, is the genus Heloderma, comprised of two main lizards, the Gila Monster and the Beaded Lizard. Both species are highly venomous, with a toxic bite used for incapacitating prey as well as a form of defense. Most venomous snakes have venom injecting fangs that act like hypodermic needles. The venom is delivered to the fang from glands on the top of the snake’s head. Gilas and Beadeds have a different system, instead having grooved channels running the length of each tooth. And unlike snakes, Heloderma venom glands are located in their bottom jaw.
From there, the venom seeps out and mixes with the lizards’ saliva. This means that every bite from a Heloderm is venomous! A common mistake spread by a lot of people, is that Gilas and Beadeds must chew on their prey to inject their venom. This is completely false. Every bite from a Heloderm has the full potential for envenomation.
Mind those fingers!
Despite western folklore, the venom of Heloderma is typically not life threatening. However, it is viewed as one of the most painful and agonizing experiences one can endure. Bone quivering pain, coupled with high fever, and uncontrollable vomiting are just a few side effects of the venom. Envenomations may last hours or even days. Allergic reactions may be prevalent and blood infections may also arise.
Keeping Heloderma in captivity is not recommended for a beginner reptile keeper. Venomous reptiles are no laughing matter and should be treated with the utmost respect and caution. All local, state, and federal laws should be upheld when involving venomous and protected animals.
So with all this talk of venomous bites, how does a keeper “tame” their pet monster? Well, don’t think of it as taming the beast, think of it as reassuring the lizard that it’s keeper isn’t going to harm them. It all starts with what’s called “Distance Acclimation,” acclimating an animal to a particular scenario, from a safe distance.
Acclimating a Heloderm to human contact should start when the lizard is young. The
younger the lizard the better. This doesn’t mean an adult can’t be acclimated. However,
it may take twice as long to acclimate or they just may never fully calm down. It all starts with getting the right tools for the job.
The first tool is a common, soft bristle paint brush, with a long handle. The handle must be long enough that if the lizard leaps up to strike, the brush gets bit before your hand does. The goal is to lightly “paint” the lizard’s back with the dry, gentle brush from high up, above the lizard, out of harms’ way. Up and down, side to side. The lizard will hate this! And that’s the goal.
The goal is to make the lizard accustomed to the sight, smell and sound of human interaction. When using the brush, never brush the lizards head or limbs. Brushing the head can cause an overwhelming amount of unwanted stress. And brushing the limbs may cause the lizard to accidentally bite itself.
This soft brushing should be done for 5-10 minutes a day max. Any more may be too much stress. Brushing should also never be done in conjunction with feeding or within a few hours of feeding as the lizard could associate the brush with food. Eventually (weeks, if not months later) the lizard will no longer react to being brushed and the acclimation process is working.
The second tool is a good pair of thick, rubber gardening gloves. Ideally, gloves that may not be punctured by thorns in the garden. These gloves are not to protect the keeper from bites, but rather to mask the heat of the keeper’s hands. The same process of painting the lizard with the dry, smooth brush, will now be done with a single gloved finger of the keeper’s weak hand. Why the weak hand? Just in case. When the lizard no longer reacts to a single gloved finger, try touching with more gloved fingers. Eventually, the keeper may be able to lift the lizard up, off the substrate, with a gloved hand. This is legitimate progress.
Once the lizard is ok with being physically touched and lifted up with glove hands, the keeper can now remove the glove that’s not cradling the lizard and begin the “painting” process with an ungloved finger. Regardless of progress made, Heloderms should always be approached and lifted with a gloved hand or with a snake hook under the lizard’s arms.
Now the keeper is exposing the lizard to human body heat for the first time. The lizard may react adversely, twitching, shaking, or even biting, but progress is still being made. Keeping the same routine, time and time again will allow the lizard to learn that humans aren’t going to hurt it. Eventually, no gloves or brushes will be needed and the lizard will be calm and at ease when handling.
Disclaimer: Nothing written in this magazine is encouraging or convincing the reader to act in any manner or to perform any action, with any venomous species. You as the reader are fully responsible for your actions taken as a result of reading the information provided here.
