Posted on 02/24/2024 6:21:30 AM PST by Red Badger
A Colorado man died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster -- which have been known to deliver a fatal amount of venom. That's why Wyoming exotic pet dealers say that Gila monsters are usually best left in the wild.
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If a pet Gila monster is on your wish list, you should probably reconsider, some Wyoming pet dealers said.
Particularly in light of a Lakewood, Colorado man dying this month after he was bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters. Keeping those critters in captivity isn’t a good idea, Andrew Jenkinson of Gillette and Kiley Troia of Riverton told Cowboy State Daily.
“I don’t know how well you can even tame down a Gila monster. If they’re anything like monitors (monitor lizards), then no. You can’t tame down monitors,” said Jenkinson, who owns Mr. Critters, a pet store in Gillette.
Troia, who owns Critters, Scales & Tails, a pet store in Riverton, is also against selling and keeping Gila monsters.
“I think some animals just shouldn’t be kept as pets,” she said.
Fatal Bite?
Lakewood resident Christopher Ward, 34, had two pet Gila monsters, named “Winston” and “Potato,” according to news reports.
He was taken to a local hospital immediately after Winston bit him on Feb. 12. He was placed on life support but died on Feb. 16. His girlfriend surrendered both of the Gila monsters to Lakewood animal control.
The Jefferson County, Colorado coroner’s office has not yet officially ruled the bite as the sole cause of Ward’s death, according to reports, but Gila monster venom is known to be fatally toxic.
Gila monsters are a species of lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. They can grow up to about 22 inches in length and are the only venomous lizard species native to the United States.
Know What You’re Getting Into
Jenkinson and Troia say they don’t know of anybody in Wyoming trying to keep Gila monsters as pets.
But there are some who keep potentially dangerous critters, such as rattlesnakes, Jenkinson said.
Rattlers are fascinating, but people absolutely must know what they’re doing to keep them in captivity, he said.
“The first thing you’ve got to do is get in line with state, federal and local laws. Here in Gillette, you can’t keep anything venomous,” Jenkinson said.
And people should do their research and know the needs, habits, and potential dangers of owning any exotic pets, he added.
Troia said that in general, Wyoming regulations are relatively loose regarding what animals can be kept in captivity. And she’s seen too many instances of people trying to go beyond the usual dog or cat pet options, but then regretting it.
“We get surrenders here at the shop all the time, because people get different animals, but those people don’t realize what they’re getting into,” she said. “We get people surrendering snakes, lizards, Guinea pigs, ferrets and rats.”
Unusual critters, such as boa constrictor snakes, have an enthusiastic customer base in Wyoming, but they’re not a good option for novice pet owners, she added.
In addition to human safety concerns, Jenkinson said he doesn’t like to see novices try to take on exotic pets, because it can frequently end badly for the animals.
There’s a wealth of knowledge available, and experts to consult before taking the dive into exotic animal ownership, he said.
“As long as the person is responsible about it, I don’t have huge issues with it,” he said.
But owning Gila monsters is probably a bridge too far for anybody, he added.
“Some species should just be left in the wild, to live out their lives in the wild,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
As a rule of thumb, species with, “monster,” as part of their name probably don’t make very good pets. Other key words to avoid would include, “venomous/poisonous,” “killer,” “fanged,” “”stinging,” and, “demon/devil.”
They are called Gila Monster, not Gila Cuddly Fuzzball.
Where was the miscommunication?
** G-rated version
What about sharks with fricken lasers? Yeah yeah I know as an alternative intemperate sea bass.
He died doing what he loved being fanged by a Gila monster. Next thing you know you won’t be able to play with your pet rattlesnakes
Lizard Cheney (Gila-Monster, WY)
Another Duh moment.
It seems that Colorado Man is joining Flrida Man and Bay Area Man as doomed branches off the homo sapiens branch of hominids.
I knew a guy who kept a rattlesnake as a pet. He insisted it was “tame”. Well, of course it wasn’t and he got bitten.
He lost 3 fingers on his right hand and spent a month in the hospital.
Idiot.
L
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Those dealers are probably just trying to steer buyers over to something with a higher mark-up price...Bearded Dragons, Asian Water Monitors... You have to watch these slick lizard salesmen.
I think the show “the kings of pain” let a gila bite them for research. I’ll have to look that up- those 2 fellas were nuts
Poisonous and deadly creatures, and some dogs “make good pets” (i suppose)... UNTIL they don’t!
Nature’s way of thining the herd.
No problem I’ll just get a couple of Kamoto dragons
In general, animals that can, and want, to kill you do not make for good pets.
Looks like a Darwin Award runner up.
Reptiles don’t make good pets. Even turtles can spread disease. Keeping anything that is poisonous or deadly large constrictors is stupid, and should be unlawful except for zoos or research institutions.
I consider anyone with a non-traditional pet to have a screw loose and to be avoided.
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