The Gila monster is a heavy-bodied chunk of a lizard. They aren’t spotted very often because they spend 98% of their lives in their burrows. When they are above ground, they tend to move rather slowly and will first try to escape if a predator comes near. They are one of only two venomous lizards in North America, so please, no pets. You’re taking landscape photos in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Arizona when suddenly you look down and see a Gila monster walking into your shot. That’s exactly what happened to photographer Mike Baker.
