Lizard Found in Yard May Be Gila Monster

San Diego Department of Animal Services officials Monday were holding a potentially venomous lizard that was found in a Rancho Bernardo home.

A resident found the reptile, believed to be a Gila monster, while landscaping the yard at Lunada Place near Polvera Drive on Friday, department spokesperson Dan DeSousa said.

The lizard was being held in Carlsbad until an expert can determine its species.

Gila monsters are desert dwellers and are not normally found in Rancho Bernardo, DeSousa said. The poisonous reptile is protected by law in Arizona and Nevada.

-City News Service