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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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