The Monster stole my 'biner
Gila Monster, we spotted it just inside California near the Nevada border. It was having a happy spring day until we nearly ran it over on a jeep road. As revenge for disturbing its day, it stole my biner and hissed at us (a slow menacing hiss, very much like an alien from Aliens). Gila Monsters are one of only two known venomous lizards on the whole planet (the other is a similar but larger lizard in Mexico), and are listed as a Species of Concern. There are two subspecies, this is a Banded Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum ssp. cinctum.
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