Monitor Lizard - Varanus
exanthematicus
This very large, stout lizard
has strong, stocky limbs and sharp claws. The skin is tough and
covered with small, bead-like scales, in 150-165 rows at midbody.
The head has a bulbous snout, with the nostrils
slit-like and nearer the eyes than the end of the snout. The tail
is longer than the body, and cylindrical at the base but compressed
towards the tip. The back is dark grey-brown above, with 5-6 pale
yellow, dark-edged blotches. The top of the head and neck are dark
brown. The limbs are spotted with pale yellow, and the tail is banded
in dark brown and off-white. The belly is dirty yellow, with scattered
spots. Juveniles are more intensely marked.
This monitor lives in a tunnel
that it digs under rock overhangs, or in a disused animal burrow,
a hole in a tree or a rock crack. It is usually solitary and hibernates,
semi-dormant, in its retreat in winter. Its skin is usually dulled
with dirt and grime, and sullied with patches of unshed skin. It
is also well-adorned with ticks in the soft skin around the eyes,
nostrils and limb joints. The diet consists mainly of invertebrates
(millipedes, beetles, grasshoppers and land snails), although it
will kill and eat any animal small
enough to swallow, and also scavenges on carrion; baby tortoises
are frequently eaten. In defence, it adopts a side-on posture and
lashes its tail. It will bite and hold on like a bulldog; if held
behind the head, it usually ejects its cloacal contents, and finally
it may sham death, hanging limp (but still keeping its eyes open).
If this ruse works and it is released, it scampers to safety at
the first opportunity. The martial eagle is the main predator on
adults. It rarely tames in captivity, and, because of its size,
needs a large enclosure. Mating occurs in August-September. The
female may occasionally lay her
eggs in a live termite nest, but normally uses a hole dug in soft,
moist soil. She may dig several holes; before selecting a suitable
spot. Between eight and 37 eggs (53-61 x 35-39mm, 32-46g) are laid,
depending on the size of the female. The eggs hatch in 120 days
in captivity, but may take up to 12 months in the wild.
Many clutches are eaten by the banded mongoose. They are most commonly
found in the north and east of Botswana, not seen in Kalahari Desert.
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