LOGAN - The popular weight loss drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy have their roots right here in Utah. The weight loss drugs came from an unlikely source. The same venomous Gila Monster that can kill or maim a human with one bite is the source for the weight loss drugs used by millions across the country.

A Gila Monster is a large, venomous, heavy-bodied lizard with orange, tan or yellow coloring with a black head and black patterns on their back. In Utah, they are found mostly in Washington County, but they also roam the deserts of Arizona, Colorado, California and New Mexico.

The cumbersome lizard is a carnivore that survives on a diet of tortoise and bird eggs, as well as baby cottontail rabbits and other small mammals that can't move very fast.

Gila Monsters can grow up to nearly t

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