A Colorado man died after a Gila monster bite. What experts say about keeping pet lizards
by Mead Gruver
Feb 22, 2024
3 minutes
A Colorado man who died after getting bitten by a Gila monster was hardly alone in having the gnarly looking lizard for a pet.
They're legal to own in most states, easily found through breeders and at reptile shows, and widely regarded for their striking color patterns and typically easygoing personality.
But while 34-year-old Christopher Ward's death Friday may have been the first from a Gila monster in the US in almost a century, the creature's bite is well-known to be excruciating — and venomous. For
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