Gila monsters sold illegally to South Carolina residents

An Arizona man has run afoul of federal and state authorities for selling Gila monsters and other venomous desert reptiles in South Carolina, officials said Friday.

Jonathan Sampson Benson, a former Greenville-area resident, pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this week to three counts of violating a federal law that restricts people from selling wildlife across state lines, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Benson must serve five years probation, pay nearly $5,000 in penalties and give up the wildlife to the government, the DNR said in a news release.

Efforts to reach Benson for comment were unsuccessful Friday.

Wildlife authorities say the international reptile trade can be lucrative for dealers and is an issue of concern in South Carolina, as well as other states. In this case, DNR spokesman David Lucas said Benson was a “reptile enthusiast” and collector.

South Carolina officials say bringing non-native wildlife to the state is a threat to native wildlife. Animals from other areas could escape and damage native wildlife populations. They also can be dangerous, like Gila monsters, Lucas said.

Animals packaged for sale in South Carolina included two Gila monsters, two prairie rattlesnakes, two tiger rattlesnakes and a speckled rattlesnake, the DNR said. Lucas said the animals had been sold, but were intercepted before they reached South Carolina

Gila monsters are thick-bodied lizards that can reach nearly 2 feet long and weigh up to 3 pounds. Native to the desert Southwest, they can inflict painful, venomous bites on other animals or people who come in contact with them.

Gila monsters exert strong pressure and the reptiles often will not loosen their grip for several seconds, according to the San Diego Zoo. When Gila monsters bite, small grooves in their teeth make the venom flow into their victims, according the zoo’s website.

The Natural Resources department said it helped with the probe, which was headed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and wildlife authorities in Arizona.

“We were glad to be able to provide assistance to federal authorities and to our colleagues in Arizona to help bring this case to a successful conclusion,” said Col. Chisolm Frampton, the DNR’S deputy director for law enforcement. “I'm very proud of the work our officers did on this case.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Gila monsters sold illegally to South Carolina residents."