Chris Calle: Gila Monster

Artist: Chris Calle
1961 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 2001
Image Size: 11 by 13 inches
Overall Size: 14.5 by 20 inches
Medium: Mixed media on cold press illustration board

A venomous lizard of the genus Heloderma, the Gila Monster is found in the arid southwest United States and northwest Mexico, where it spends most of its time underground, hibernating. In moderate daytime temperatures of spring, the lizard moves about the surface of the desert consuming most of its annual caloric intake, and basking in the sun. Slow and clumsy, the Gila monster can grow to a length of about 24 inches, with its round tail comprising one-third of that length. During most of the year, the lizard survives in a climate-induced dormancy, on food reserves in its tail and body. It is a compact, stout lizard with a short, flattened head. Its black body is covered with beadlike scales, marbled with varying patterns of red, pink and orange spots and similar color bands on the tail. Despite its obvious warning colors, it is a nocturnal lizard that hunts by using senses of taste and smell in its upper jaw and tongue. Breeding occurs in the late spring, and the eggs that are laid in summer then go into hibernation period and hatch the following spring, suggesting a one-year reproductive cycle. Because its neuro-toxic venom does not always enter the wound when a victim is bitten, the Gila monster must bite deeply and chew tenaciously to inflict the venom effectively. Venom is deadly to the Gila monster Is prey of ground-breeding birds' nestlings, rodents, bird and reptile eggs, and in 20 reported cases, humans. The major threat to the Gila monster is habitat destruction and human encroachment.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the U.N. 34¢ Gila Monster Endangered Species stamp issued February 1, 2001.

Artwork Copyright © 2001 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB16907

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