Desert Tortoise versus Gila Monster

 

 

 

As a follow-up to my previous desert tortoise scene, I looked for an opportunity to draw a female in battle.  I learned that while female tortoises rarely exhibit aggression towards their own species, they can be fierce in defending their nests and will even fight Gila monsters who want to eat the eggs.  The only venomous lizard native to the United States, the Gila monster must be a foreboding opponent.  But so is a reptilian battle tank with the temperament of a mother grizzly!