THE GILA MONSTER

THE GILA MONSTER

Inactive from mid-November to early March

Active about 30% of the time during the hot wet season

A very sluggish animal

Yummy ! A hamster !

How can it be so inactive ?

But why is it so interesting ?

IMMUNE

7 min

< 2 min

Toxicity of the venom

IMMUNE

7 min

< 2 min

Toxicity of the venom

The Gila monster does not use its venom to hunt !

WHAT

Gradual paralysis of respiration

Gradual paralysis of the heart

Rapid drop in blood pressure

Coagulation of blood is stopped

DEATH Paralysis of the respiratory system

orCardiac failure

WHAT

Excruciating pain, edema,

rapid drop in blood pressure, hemorrhage in internal organs,

difficulty to breathe

Specialized salivary gland

Duct that delivers the venom to the teeth.

The venom apparatus

Groove for conduction of venomCapillarity

action

Temporary reservoirs for the venom discharged by the glands.

Lance-shaped at the tip

Complex teeth

Groove for conduction of venomCapillarity

action

Temporary reservoirs for the venom discharged by the glands.

Lance-shaped at the tip

Complex teeth

More than a dozen peptides and proteins have been isolated from the Gila monster's venom,

hyaluronidase, serotonin, phospholipase A2, and several kallikrein-like glycoproteins

Peptide : EXENDIN-4

The venom

50% similar to the human hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that increases the production of insulin when blood sugar levels

are high.

EXENDIN-4

May help to treat type-2 diabete

EXENATIDE

• remains effective much longer than the human hormone

its synthetic form helps diabetics keep their blood sugar levels from getting too high

• slows the emptying of the stomach and causes a decrease in appetite,

leads to weight loss

EXENDIN-4

It can kill

But it can heal.

GILA MONSTER