Mexican beaded lizard

The beaded lizard or Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) is found in Guatemala and Mexico. Along with its close cousin, the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), they are known as one of the two venomous lizards in the world. . Their venom is similar to that of some snakes (e.g., the western diamondback rattler). There are a number of subspecies, including H. h. exasperatum, H. h. alvarezi, and H. h. horridum. Adult Mexican beaded lizards range from 30 to 36 inches (33 to 46 cm) in length. They are substantially larger than their relative the gila monster, which only reaches lengths of 12 to 16 inches. Sometimes the two species are confused, but the size of the beaded lizard is an easy way to determine the difference.