Man dies after being bitten by his pet Gila monster in Colorado

Officials in Colorado have said that a 34-year-old person from the area died four days after being bitten by one of their two pet Gila monsters.

The animals are dangerous snakes that live in the southwest part of the United States. Their bites usually do not kill people.

But a specialist told media, that the person may have had an allergic response. The most recent deadly bite from a human is thought to have happened in 1930.

Dr Nick Brandehoff, who knows a lot about reptiles and toxins, told the media that the incident was not even in a medical journal.

He said that most bites make the area swell up and bleed.

Dr Brandehoff said that the death last week shows that we should respect all venomous animals.

The victim in Jefferson County, whose name is not known, had two meat-eating reptiles.

Gila monsters are the biggest lizards in the country and can grow to about 22 inches (56cm) long, according to the Smithsonian Institution. They are named after the Gila River. They are called Gila River.

On Monday 12 February, a young creature that was about 12 inches long bit the man.

He went to the hospital and passed away last Friday.

The coroner’s office in Jefferson County checked the body, but needs more tests to figure out exactly how the person died.

You need a license to own a Gila monster in this state. The man had tarantulas and it’s legal to have them.

An investigator from Colorado Parks and Wildlife said his team was asked to take the two Gila monsters out of the house.

The lizards from the desert will be sent to a special place to get better. The animal that bit the man will be taken to a lab at the University of Northern Colorado first.

There, the poison will be taken out and looked at to find out more about why its bite caused its owner to die.