Rosie
Gila Monster Ambassador
Female
1994 / Adult
Abandoned / Missing toes
About Rosie
Rosie came to Liberty in 1994, as an adult, after being confiscated. She and two other Gila monsters had been tossed into a garbage dumpster and left without food or water. We do not know how long they were in there, but long enough that they turned on one another and tried to eat each other. Rosie is missing a couple of toes because of this.
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.
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