Gila Monster of the Future
The Gila Monster, also known as Heloderma Suspectum, is a lizard
that lives in the southwestern United States in areas such as Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, California and Utah. This lizard is known for its colorful
orange and black skin, but also for its bite. The Gila Monster is capable of
locking its jaw on to prey, much like a Pit-bull. Except, this lizard can
pump venom into its prey after it pierces the skin. The venom quickly
passes into the blood stream of an animal and kills them easily.
The Gila Monster of the future, also known as Heloderma Lamellae,
is the same animal except for the fact that it struggled for 100,000 years
after a worldwide flood threatened to cause the extinction of the
species. Over time the mechanism of evolution known as genetic drift
caused the animal to adapt to its surroundings. Genetic drift is when the
environment of an animal, forces it to change. Due to the flood and
genetic drift, the Gila Monster we once knew is gone.
The tail that was once filled with fat to feed it during hot weather
was replaced with a fish tail to let it swim faster in the waters. The claws
of the animal changed and added webbing to enable it to maneuver
easier in the water. Lastly, over the last hundred years, the Gila Monster
has grown gills, this allows it to swim underwater and catch prey for
longer periods of time without having to come up for air.
Gila Monster of the present
Gila Monster of the future
(Heloderma Suspectum)
(Heloderma Lamellae)