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Utah's state reptile, a heavy venomous lizard found only in the southwest corner.
Utah made the Gila monster its state reptile in 2019. DWR says the species is primarily found in west-central Arizona but is native to southwestern Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of California. Snow Canyon State Park, designated trails in the Red Cliffs Reserve and the BLM Red Cliffs recreation area are the most likely Utah places to see one, and April and May daytime is the likeliest time, with sightings possible through the summer on warm nights.
The lizard is large and heavy-bodied, yellow with black bands to orange or pink with black bands. It eats tortoise and bird eggs and young rabbits, and a single meal can be up to a third of its body weight, so it eats only three or four times a year. DWR says it spends about 95 percent of its time out of sight in burrows. It is one of two venomous lizards in North America.
It is not federally endangered, but it is protected in each state where it lives, and DWR says it is illegal to capture or move one found in the wild. Keep your distance and do not touch it. A state symbol says nothing about where to find the animal or how well it is protected, so use the DWR page for rules.
Heavy-bodied lizard with black bands over yellow, orange or pink.
Not federally endangered; protected in each state where it lives, per DWR in 2019.
Do not touch, capture or move a Gila monster; watch from a distance.
A long-lived desert reptile whose slow life history and reliance on shelter make disturbance especially costly.
Sure-footed sheep of the slickrock, restored to Zion after disappearing there.
Insect-eating flying mammals whose lives depend on suitable roosts, water and a safe seasonal cycle.