A Colorado man died after a Gila monster bite. Opinions and laws on keeping the lizard as a pet vary

A Colorado man who died after getting bitten by a Gila monster was hardly alone in having the gnarly looking lizard for a pet. “It’s like getting your hand slammed, caught in a car door," Arizona State University professor Dale DeNardo said of the lizard's bite. A Gila monster enthusiast who has studied the reptiles for decades, DeNardo said even he wouldn't want to have one in his house.