Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum)

[Nightflight99]

Tonight's contribution is of my favorite group of lizards--the members of the genus Heloderma. I work with both gila monsters (H. suspectum) and Mexican beaded lizards (H. horridum), but this post is going to focus on the latter. I consider these guys to be the yard dogs of my collection. I usually produce one litter of these each year, and currently have a batch of eggs cooking in the incubator. The incubation period for these eggs is obscenely long--typically around 6-7 months. The hatchlings crawl out of the egg with their guns blazing: they are full of spunk and fire! They usually settle down in their third year or so, and are a bit less likely to huff, puff, and strike at you from then onwards.

The top left and center picture are of my breeder male going for a climb (they are extremely skillful climbers). The other picture are of past offspring that I produced.

[Minkness]

Nnnggg! Beaded and gillas are one of my most desired lizards EVER! I love their blunt, bumpy heads!

[Sylphie]

Amazing pics, thanks for sharing! :D

[inv3ctiv3]

One of my favorite Izard's! I plan on picking one up in a month or so.

[chairman]

I like these guys too. In your experience, what are the temperament differences between gilas and beadeds? Is one easier to work with than the other?

[Nightflight99]

In your experience, what are the temperament differences between gilas and beadeds? Is one easier to work with than the other?
Both species are feisty as juveniles, and will gape, huff 'n' puff, and bluff strike readily. Both of them are also significantly calmer as adults, although some beaded lizards retain a bit of their attitude into adulthood. Side-by-side, I find them both to be very similar to work with, although I do appreciate the added size of the beaded lizards, which makes the feisty ones easier to work with (more distance to the pointy end).

[Minkness]

So beadeds are bigger than gillas? By about how much?

Also, i understand they are venomous. What is the potency of the venom? Are they 'relatively safe' to free handle?

[Nightflight99]

So beadeds are bigger than gillas? By about how much?
Adult beaded lizards are around 700 mm (27.6") in length, with very large specimens perhaps reaching up to 1,000 mm (39.4"). On the other hand, adult gila monsters are typically in the 350-450 mm (13.8-17.7") neighborhood, with a 550 mm (21.7") specimen being very large for this species.

Also, i understand they are venomous. What is the potency of the venom? Are they 'relatively safe' to free handle?
Generally not, but this depends on your definition of free-handling. If you define free-handling as simply handling a venomous reptile bare-handed without the use of tools, then yes, they can handled quite safely in that manner, assuming that you're using the techniques and protocols. If, on the other hand, you define free-handling as to handle them as if they were non-venomous (i.e., as commonly found on the Internet for the purpose of showmanship), then no, that would be quite risky. Helodermatid lizards do everything in life slowly, with the exception of one thing--striking.

The venom is actually quite toxic, and there various accounts of people dying within a few hours after being envenomated, but most them have not been authenticated. The bites are known for causing an excruciating amount of pain, and, unlike venomous snakes, they are not able to control the amount of venom that is delivered.

[pet_snake_78]

Do you think a really thick pair of leather gloves would suffice? I really love these guys but they are outlawed here :(

[Nightflight99]

Do you think a really thick pair of leather gloves would suffice?
No, I think if you were to go down that road, you would need some Kevlar gloves. However, the best way is to simply utilize the proper techniques, which will minimize the chance of a bite, even without gloves.

[PatrickT]

Always wanted one but dont know how to get. :(

[Nightflight99]

Always wanted one but dont know how to get. :(
Helodermatids used to rarely be available in Germany, but there are now numerous keepers in the country, so they should be available. If all else fails, you could always try Houten or Hamm.

I recommend getting a well-started juvenile that you can grow with.

[PatrickT]

Helodermatids used to rarely be available in Germany, but there are now numerous keepers in the country, so they should be available. If all else fails, you could always try Houten or Hamm.

I recommend getting a well-started juvenile that you can grow with.

Since you are more active in the topic, do you know a good breeder in germany? I prefer the horridum species.

[Nightflight99]

Since you are more active in the topic, do you know a good breeder in germany? I prefer the horridum species.
Not off the top of my head, but I will keep my eyes and ears open. How soon are you looking to buy?

[PatrickT]

Not off the top of my head, but I will keep my eyes and ears open. How soon are you looking to buy?

one or two years in the future. so it has time.

[Nightflight99]

Ok, cool. Do you have any experience with venomous reptiles or is this going to be your first venture? Just curious.

[PatrickT]

Ok, cool. Do you have any experience with venomous reptiles or is this going to be your first venture? Just curious.

It would be my first. I thought its a good start because they are rather phlegmatic and i would not handle it that much and if so only with kevlar gloves. Keep in mind that i will never buy an venomous snake because i don´t want risk it but heloderma...i think thats managable.

[Nightflight99]

It would be my first. I thought its a good start because they are rather phlegmatic and i would not handle it that much and if so only with kevlar gloves. Keep in mind that i will never buy an venomous snake because i don´t want risk it but heloderma...i think thats managable.
Yes, they are definitely very manageable. I suggest finding an experienced local Heloderma keeper and getting him/her to show you the ropes. You'd learn a ton by getting some in-person instruction, and having someone answer even those questions that you may not have considered in the first place. In any case, they are fascinating animals to work with and a pleasure to keep.

[PatrickT]

Yes, they are definitely very manageable. I suggest finding an experienced local Heloderma keeper and getting him/her to show you the ropes. You'd learn a ton by getting some in-person instruction, and having someone answer even those questions that you may not have considered in the first place. In any case, they are fascinating animals to work with and a pleasure to keep.

definitly. I like horridum the most because they really look bulky and masisve and are not that colorful. I heared there is an almost black / grey subspiecies. They are hard to get but really awesome.

[Nightflight99]

definitly. I like horridum the most because they really look bulky and masisve and are not that colorful. I heared there is an almost black / grey subspiecies. They are hard to get but really awesome.
Yes, you're refering to the Chiapan beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum alvarezi) from Chiapas (Mexico) and western Guatemala. That is definitely not an easy one to acquire, but they are beautiful. As a note of interest, Reiserer et al. (2013) recently elevated all of the subspecies to species status, rendering this form Heloderma alvarezi.

Alternatively, you could also aim for the very dark lineages of Heloderma horridum, which you might find a lot easier to locate.

[PatrickT]

Yes, you're refering to the Chiapan beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum alvarezi) from Chiapas (Mexico) and western Guatemala. That is definitely not an easy one to acquire, but they are beautiful. As a note of interest, Reiserer et al. (2013) recently elevated all of the subspecies to species status, rendering this form Heloderma alvarezi.

Alternatively, you could also aim for the very dark lineages of Heloderma horridum, which you might find a lot easier to locate.

yes you are right. well lets wait and see what i'm able to get. Do you have pics of your enclosures? How you keep them? That would be very interesting.

[Humble308]

Nightflight, your photography is nuts man. I enjoy every single post you make simply for the great photos. The animal coming out of the egg is amazing and the horned vipers were awesome. All the best!

Semper Fi,
Derek G

[Nightflight99]

Do you have pics of your enclosures? How you keep them? That would be very interesting.
I don't have any pics of my Heloderma enclosures handy, but I'll try to remember to take some when I get a chance. I keep my adults in enclosures that are 120-180 cm long, 60 cm wide, and 60-120 cm tall (I'll use metric values to make it easier for you). As with most adult reptiles, the larger the enclosure, the better it is. Helodermatid lizards are largely nocturnal, so they are usually just basking or laying in the water container during the day. At night, they will wander, and beaded lizards in particular love to climb. I keep juveniles in their first year in small plastic containers. Like the adults, they are quite destructive, so I keep the enclosures relatively basic, without plants or other shenanigans. All Helodermatids love their water containers, so they sturdy ones that are not easy to tip over, or else they will regularly flood their entire enclosure. They also do not like for the water to be too deep, so the water depth should be kept at 1.5-2.0x their own body height, or else they may avoid it. Beaded lizards also prefer temperatures that are much lower than a lot of people expect--I use a temperature gradient of about 24-29 °C, with a hot spot of around 32-34 °C. I feed the hatchlings every 4-7 days, and adults every 2-4 weeks.

[Nightflight99]

Nightflight, your photography is nuts man. I enjoy every single post you make simply for the great photos. The animal coming out of the egg is amazing and the horned vipers were awesome. All the best!

Semper Fi,
Derek G
Thank you, Derek! Much appreciated! Happy 2016! :)

[PatrickT]

I don't have any pics of my Heloderma enclosures handy, but I'll try to remember to take some when I get a chance. I keep my adults in enclosures that are 120-180 cm long, 60 cm wide, and 60-120 cm tall (I'll use metric values to make it easier for you). As with most adult reptiles, the larger the enclosure, the better it is. Helodermatid lizards are largely nocturnal, so they are usually just basking or laying in the water container during the day. At night, they will wander, and beaded lizards in particular love to climb. I keep juveniles in their first year in small plastic containers. Like the adults, they are quite destructive, so I keep the enclosures relatively basic, without plants or other shenanigans. All Helodermatids love their water containers, so they sturdy ones that are not easy to tip over, or else they will regularly flood their entire enclosure. They also do not like for the water to be too deep, so the water depth should be kept at 1.5-2.0x their own body height, or else they may avoid it. Beaded lizards also prefer temperatures that are much lower than a lot of people expect--I use a temperature gradient of about 24-29 °C, with a hot spot of around 32-34 °C. I feed the hatchlings every 4-7 days, and adults every 2-4 weeks.

thanks for the info and also for using metric system ;)

[inv3ctiv3]

You should definitely post some pics of the enclosures, I'm hopefully picking up a large male adult and am looking for ideas but my basic plan is to finish building a monitor cage I was setting up (5x3x3ish) but am wondering on humidity levels.

[Nightflight99]

I'm hopefully picking up a large male adult and am looking for ideas but my basic plan is to finish building a monitor cage I was setting up (5x3x3ish) but am wondering on humidity levels.
Humidity levels for Heloderma? I keep mine in arid setups, but I do provide large water containers, as they like to spend time soaking in the water. Like monitors, they're destructive and messy, so the enclosures have to be kept rather basic, or else they become high in maintenance.

[pet_snake_78]

Can never see too many pics of these dudes :) Really enjoying the posts you make here, Mr. Nightflight.