Mexican Beaded Lizard
Heloderma horridum
The Mexican Beaded Lizard lives mainly alone and spends much of the day sheltered in burrows or rocky crevices, emerging mostly at dusk and during the night. It is one of the few venomous lizards in the world: its venom, produced by glands in the lower jaw, is used primarily for defence and to subdue prey. By storing fat reserves in its tail, it can survive for long periods when food is scarce. Habitat loss and illegal collection for the exotic pet trade remain the main threats to wild populations.
IUCN RED LIST
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) classifies living species according to criteria that take into account their level of threat of extinction: the Red List is an indispensable tool for coordinating nature conservation actions, a veritable barometer of the health of our Planet.
EEP Project
This species is included in EAZA’s (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums) EEP programme for breeding endangered species.
Lives in Central America
Fun Fact
A SKILLED NOCTURNAL PREDATOR, IT USES VENOM TO KILL ITS PREY
Deadly even to humans, it is nevertheless illegally sold as a pet.
Gli animali che vivono nella stessa area geografica
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