Gila Monster - Ecology

Ecology

Gila monsters spend 90% of their time underground in burrows or rocky shelters. They are active in the morning during the dry season (spring and early summer); later in the summer, they may be active on warm nights or after a thunderstorm. They maintain a surface body temperature of about 30 °C (86 °F). Gila monsters are slow in sprinting ability, but they have relatively high endurance and maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂ max) for a lizard.