Rio Fuerte beaded lizard in exhibit

Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard

Scientific Name
Heloderma horridum exasperatum
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Range
Western Mexico
Habitat
Tropical forests and shrublands
Estimated Wild Population
n/a
Rio Fuerte beaded lizard Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern

More Information

Rio Fuerte beaded lizards can reach up to 30 inches from head to tail. They have a broad, flat head and venom glands in their lower jaw. Their bodies are long and heavy and covered with bead-like scales that form yellow and black stripes. These long-clawed lizards are carnivorous, eating insects, small rodents, lizards, snakes, birds, and eggs. They become sexually mature after three or four year.

Did You Know?

Rio Fuerte beaded lizards paralyze their prey with venom mixed into their saliva.

These lizards are frequently found in abandoned mammal burrows and near sources of permanent water.

They store fat in their tail, using it as a reserve energy source when food is scarce.

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We cooperate with other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage the zoo population of this species through a Species Survival Plan®.

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