Predacious Beaded Lizards of the Southwest and Mexico!

No two lizard species have spawned as much folklore, wonder and myth as the Gila Monster of the Southwest and the Beaded lizard of southern Mexico and Guatemala. These are the only two venomous lizards in the world today and also the only lizards that are beaded. The Gila monster is the smaller of the two and has a lighter appearance with beads of orange and pink in appearance. Like the beaded lizard it spends more than 90 per cent of its time underground, and has a diet based on small birds and reptile eggs. Both lizards have the ability to climb, but are rather sluggish in their movement. Today, both species are protected under the laws of the countries mentioned. Most promising is the fact that the venom of these reptiles contain enzymes that hold promise for the treating of type 2 diabetes.