Driving along Redington Road between San Manuel and Benson (still looks like old Arizona Territory must have looked long ago), I spotted this guy moving across the road. I stopped the car and grabbed my camera (landscape lens on it, unfortunately) and trailed him as he scurried along. He stopped once and swung his head around as if to say, "Stop bothering me." I stopped and watched him walk up the side of the hill and nestle in among some rocks. Happy at last.
The Gila Monster (pronounced heela) is the only venomous lizard (12-18 inches in length) that is native to Arizona and the USA. Its bite isn't fatal to humans but if it gets a hold of you, you'll need a stick to pry his jaws loose. He injects a poison into you as he holds on and chews.
They are protected in Arizona as their numbers are diminishing due to accidents and loss of habitat.
What a treat to have seen him in the wild.