Rex
Gila Monster Ambassador
Male
2001 / Young
Coming soon...
About Rex
Rex came to Liberty in 2001 as a young Gila. He was hit and dragged by a semi- truck, injuring his tail. Because of captivity, he could not be released into the wild once healed. The law has now changed; it used to be that once in captivity a Gila could not be released back into the wild. However, they may now be released within 6 weeks if able. If longer than 6 weeks, they cannot be released.
Description
Heavy bodies lizards covered with beadlike scales that are black and yellow or pink. Can get up to about 21.5 inches and 1.5-3 pounds.
Habitat
Desert and semi-desert areas with just enough moisture to support a few shrubs. Commonly create burrows in rocky foothills and avoid open areas.
Range
Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahua deserts of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. The name comes from the Gila River basin in Arizona where they were first discovered.
Life Span
They can live up to 20 years in the wild and over 30 in captivity.
Prey / Food
Carnivores that use sense of taste and smell to hunt for food. Food items include bird eggs, nestlings rodents, frogs, lizards, insects, centipedes, and worms. Occasionally will eat carrion.
Babies / Nests
The female lays 3-13 eggs in a hole just below the surface. Incubation time is about 4 months, and the hatchlings are ready to survive on their own immediately.
Native American Folklore
Gila monster is one of the Navajo Holy People and is thought to be the original medicine man. Gila monster is associated with Navajo traditional healers, especially "hand tremblers," because his forefoot is thought to tremble when he walks. A hand trembler is a diagnostician among the Navajo who can diagnose the cause of an illness by sensing the illness through his trembling hand and recommend the proper ceremony to cure it. Trembling hands are a sign that one has been chosen by Gila Monster to be a healer.
Gila monster is the well-armored warrior of the Navajo. Navajos see the thick bead-like scales of the Gila monster as having qualities like flint, particularly in its texture and hardness. To the Navajo, flint from which arrowheads are made is a sacred stone. Old warrior tales tell of mortals who wore flint armor and looked like Gila Monster.
The well-known Navajo Flintway legend is a restorative story that celebrates the power of Gila Monster, the healer and protector. In this legend a young hunter has adulterous relations with the wife of White Thunder, a well armored Navajo warrior. Enraged White Thunder mutilates and scatters the young hunter’s body parts. Gila Monster restores the young hunter with his healing powers and brings balance to the world.
Native people view Gila monster differently based on tribal traditions. The Apache believe that its breath could kill a man, and the Pima believe Gila Monster possesses a spiritual power that can cause sickness, but the Seri and the Yaqui believe that the hide of the Gila monster has healing powers.
© 2025 Liberty Wildlife - Privacy Policy