The Columbus Zoo is celebrating the successful hatching of beaded lizards. Hatched out at the end of last month, this marks only the second time that
The Columbus Zoo is celebrating the successful hatching of beaded lizards. Hatched out at the end of last month, this marks only the second time that the zoo has successfully hatched the species, the first being in the year 2000. The six beaded lizards hatched at the zoo after a nearly four month incubation period.
“They are vulnerable in the wild and are protected,” Saul Bauer, Shores Keeper at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said in a video released by the zoo. “They are poached and their habitats are being destroyed, so they do need the zoo’s help. Having successfully bred them now and hatching them is a big step toward their SSP (Species Survival Plan) and hopefully long term survival in the wild.”Columbus Zoo
There are four species of beaded lizard; Rio Fuerte (H. exasperatum), the Mexican (H. horridum), the Chiapan (H. alverezi) and the Guatemalan (H. charlesbogerti). They are related to the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum). Both lizards are venomous. The Gila monster can be found primarily in the southwestern United States, while beaded lizards are found in western Mexico and Guatemala.
