GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Arizona is one of the states with the most venomous creatures in the U.S., none of which you want to find in your backyard.
Thursday night, the Goodyear Fire Department received a call from a resident near Estrella Parkway and Elliot Road who said he needed help removing a Gila monster he found in his backyard.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Este reptil del desierto no es lo que quiere encontrarse en su patio trasero
The man had trapped the Gila monster and the fire crew was able to transfer the reptile to a bucket and then release it into the desert.
Gila monster bites are incredibly painful and in rare cases can be fatal.
Reports of deaths due to Gila monster bites are rare, and most seem to be complicated by alcohol, drugs or other health factors, according to the National Park Service.
In February, a Colorado man died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster. The autopsy report listed an enlarged heart and a fatty liver as "significant contributing factors" and ruled his manner of death as an accident.
Animal Planet's Coyote Peterson, who regularly handles dangerous creatures, called a Gila monster bite "the worst animal bite of his life" after being bitten in Tucson.
The lizards mostly stay underground but if you see one, it is best to keep your distance.
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