Beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum)

What do I eat?

Beaded lizards are carnivores. Their diet includes mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, insects, and the eggs of birds and reptiles. They swallow their prey whole, except for eggs, which they break first.  When food is in short supply, these lizards are able to live off the fat reserves in their tail.  

Where do I live?

Beaded lizards are found in a variety of habitats in Mexico and Guatemala. They are most often found in tropical deciduous forest, but are also found in thorn forests, tropical scrubland and pine-oak forest. 

Breeding

Beaded lizards breed in February and March. About two months after mating, females lay between 3 and 13 eggs, which they bury and then abandon. After about 6 months of incubation, the young, which may be up to 20cm long, emerge from the eggs. 

Predators

Beaded lizards are known to be predated upon by coyotes and some birds of prey. 

Conservation

Beaded lizard numbers are thought to be declining slowly for a number of reasons. They are threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation for agriculture and human settlements. In some areas they are threatened by forest fires.  They are also deliberately killed because people are scared of their venom.

However this species is protected by law in Mexico and Guatemala, and are found in a number of protected areas. Beaded lizards are listed on Appendix II of CITES which means that trade in these animals or any of its part is restricted.