Reproduction & Life Cycle
The female Gila Monster will lay up to 12 eggs at once. They are laid in nests underground. The nests are dug shallow underground (about 5 inches) so that the sun can incubate them because the mother will not. The average amount of eggs in a nest is five. The eggs are laid in July or August and they hatch about nine months later anywhere from April through June the next year. The life cycle of the Gila Monster can last as long as 20 years in the wild or 30 years in captivity. The Gila Monster sexually matures at 3-5 years and is then ready to reproduce.