An American kept dangerous animals at home.
34-year-old Christopher Ward from Colorado was passionate about exotic pets, including venomous reptiles and spiders. However, one of his lizards, Heloderma suspectum, known as the Arizona Gila monster, bit him, leading to a tragic death.
On the evening of February 12, Christopher's friend, Madeline Sutton, called 911 after hearing a strange noise from another room. When she entered, she found Christopher on the floor, with one of the two lizards he kept in his hand. The reptile had likely escaped from its cage and attacked its owner.
After the bite, Christopher experienced vomiting and difficulty breathing. He was taken to the hospital but died four days later. Typically, a Gila monster bite does not result in death, so the cause of Ward's death remains unclear. There is a theory that he may have developed an allergic reaction to the lizard's venom.
The day after the incident, both lizards were sent to a wildlife rehabilitation center in South Dakota. In Ward's home, 26 spiders, including tarantulas, were also found.
What Gila Monsters Are and Their Habitat
The Arizona Gila monster is the largest lizard found in the United States, with some individuals reaching lengths of 56–60 centimeters and weighing around two kilograms. These reptiles, known for their bright and colorful appearance, inhabit the southwestern United States, in the hot and arid regions of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Their diet includes small mammals, insects, as well as birds, lizards, snakes, and their eggs.
The venom of the Gila monster is produced in specialized salivary glands located at the edge of the lower jaw. When biting, small projections on the teeth help the venom penetrate the victim's body. A Gila monster bite is very painful, and the lizard can hold its prey in its grip for several seconds, squeezing and releasing its jaws to allow the venom to penetrate deeper into the wound. Although a Gila monster bite causes severe pain, in most cases, the consequences are limited to swelling and bleeding rather than death.
It turned out that Ward was illegally keeping Gila monsters, as this is prohibited in Colorado without a special license. Laws regarding the keeping of Gila monsters vary by state, but in most, their sale and purchase are banned. Additionally, since the species Heloderma suspectum is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, hunting and capturing these lizards in the wild is prohibited in the United States. This may be why the price for Arizona Gila monsters can reach $1,200 per individual.
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