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

Gila monsters are a type of lizard widely regarded for their striking color patterns and typically easygoing personality but they have a painful and venomous bite. A Gila monster bite is suspected of causing a rare death last week in Colorado. Some question the wisdom of keeping the species as pets. Laws vary widely by state. Some ban the lizards as pets. Others have no rules about them at all. Authorities say 34-year-old Christopher Ward recently bought the Gila monster that bit him at a reptile exhibition and may not have had a permit to keep the animal.