The first official sighting of the
shy Gila monster occurred in Arizona's Gila River basin. It prefers
The Gila monster is the largest
native U.S. lizard. Its heavy body features short legs, a thick body, and a
short, incredibly fat tail. Healthy Gila monsters grow until they’re approximately
20 inches from nose to tail and weigh in at about 4 pounds. Brilliantly
colored, bead-like scales, called osteoderms, and that have a color range that
includes pink, yellow, bright black, and orange patterns cover the lizard’s
entire body.
Unlike many lizards that zip along
at a pretty good clip (the spiny-tailed ignuana can
reach 21mph,) the Gila monster is slow. Incredibly
slow. While walking, their top speed is an estimated 1mph. Rather than chasing
down their pray, which includes birds, mice and other small animals. They’re
also very fond of eggs and will frequently climb a cactus and raid a bird’s
nest.
Between their colorful appearance
and slow movements, it’s difficult to avoid the temptation of picking up a Gila
monster if you’re lucky enough to spot one in the wild. This is a bad idea.
Gila monsters have the distinction of being one of just two lizards that
produce venom. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, no human has ever died because
of a Gila monster’s bite, but you will experience excruciating pain while you
wait for the poison to dissipate.
Gila Monster Venom
Its
slow speed makes it impossible for the Gila monster to chase after prey. Its
survival depends on it’s ability to quickly immobilize whatever prey walks past
the lizard’s hiding place. It does this by biting down hard on the bird or
mouse. The jaws lock on and hold tight for several long minutes, during which,
venom travels through long grooves in the lower teeth and into the prey’s blood
stream. Sometimes the Gila monster will even chew on its prey, presumably to
shorten the time it takes for the venom to impact the mouse or bird. Once the
animal dies, the Gila monster swallows it whole.
The
entire system for bringing down prey and the resemblance the venom and delivery
process bears to venomous snakes has prompted researchers to hypothesis that
both the Gila Monster and the Mexican Beaded
Lizard share a close evolutionary link with snakes.
How Gila Monster
Venom Helps Diabetics
It’s
my understanding that research into Gila monster venom originally started
because a handful of researchers were curious as to why humans experienced such
intense pain after the lizard bit them. When the researchers analyzed the
venom, they discovered it contained exenatide-4 which is very similar to a
human peptide, glucagon-like
peptide-1 analog (GLP-1.)
In
a person who hasn’t been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, GLP-1 aids in the
production of insulin whenever the individuals blood pressure starts climbing.
This is important since the insulin is responsible for taking stored sugar from
the fat cells and using it for energy. In addition to helping those with Type 2
diabetes properly use their fat stores, the exenatide-4 found in the Gila
monster venom decreases the length of time it takes to digest meals, which
means the individual doesn’t feel hungry as often, which helps them maintain a
healthier weight. While it’s possible to inject GLP-1 into the system and
therefore help regulate the blood sugar level. The problem with they system is
that GLP-1 doesn’t last long once it enters the system. In order for the person
to get the help needed, they’d need another injection approximately once every
hour. Exenatide-4 doesn’t break down as quickly, which means significantly fewer
shots, lowering the risk of infection while improving overall quality of life.
At
this point it’s not advised that anyone who hasn’t been diagnosed with type 2
diabetes should use exenatide-4 for weight loss. However, there are some who
feel that as the scientific community learns more about Gila monster venom and exenatide-4,
they will learn how to use exenatide-4 to help people overcome eating
addictions, enabling them to lose weight. Some wonder if it might not prove to
be a key to aiding those with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug addictions.
Researchers
believe that the Gila monster relies on the exenatide-4 found in their system
to help them regulate their metabolism, allowing them to go a very long time
between meals.
Research
and clinical trials revealed that in addition to helping those with type 2
diabetes better regulate their appetite, the exenatide-4 also sustain a
healthier blood sugar level.
Exenatide-4
is marketed as Byetta.
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