Gila monsters are lizards of the family Heloderma. Normally they only bite if attacked or provoked.
Risk factors for envenomation:
(1) intoxication
(2) reaching blindly into burrows or under rock crevices
(3) attempting to catch or provoke the lizard
(4) moving a captive lizard to a new environment
(5) handling the lizard carelessly
Protective measures:
(1) wearing thick leather gloves
(2) leaving the lizards alone
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
