身上覆蓋著珠子般的黑色與橙色鱗片的蜥蜴。大多棲息於陸地上。主要棲息地點為乾燥的沙漠地帶，為了躲避暑氣，一天大部分的時間都躲在洞穴裡。雖然有毒，但並非用於狩獵，而是自保，會透過牙齒上的小凹槽注入敵人體內。
The heloderma lizard is a large, venomous lizard with black and orange bead-like scales. These lizards are primarily terrestrial and are found in arid desert regions, where they spend most of the time in burrows to avoid the heat. Their venom, delivered through grooves in their teeth, is used primarily for defense rather than hunting.