Mexican beaded lizard beaded lizard under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species as an Appendix I animal, making it illegal to export the species. Mexican beaded lizard The Mexican beaded lizard ("Heloderma horridum") is a species of lizard in the family Helodermatidae, one of the two species of venomous beaded lizards found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala. It and its congener (member of the same genus) the Gila monster ("Heloderma suspectum") are the only lizards known to have evolved an overt venom delivery system. The Mexican beaded lizard is larger than the Gila monster, with duller coloration, black with yellowish
Mexican beaded lizard is listed on Appendix II of CITES. Fewer than 200 lizards remain in the dry forest habitat of the Motagua Valley, and this species of beaded lizard ("H. charlesbogerti") was facing extinction due to local extermination and loss of habitat for agricultural purposes. A conservation effort has been launched known as Project Heloderma to preserve the semiarid habitat of the Motagua Valley by the Nature Conservancy and partners such as ZOOTROPIC, CONAP, the International Reptile Conservation Foundation, Lincoln Park Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, and the San Diego Zoo. This effort has been successful in getting the Guatemalan government to list the