REPTILIA: SQUAMATA: VARANIDAE: Varanus

Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Nile monitor / Leguaan

Photos & text by Dr. Robert Sprackland.

Range: Much of eastern Africa, from central Egypt south to South Africa. Restricted to habitats near permanent fresh water.

Diagnosis: A large black or dark brown monitor with a small oval nostril located midway between the eye ad snout tip; the tongue is dark purple; the tail is considerably longer than the snout-vent length (even in adults), and the tail is distinctly compressed.

Description:  

Natural History: Young climb and dwell in trees, but adults are more terrestrial. Diet changes with age, from insects and small lizards to small mammals, birds (mainly nestlings), eggs (of birds and crocodiles), and snails. The lateral teeth change with age, from recurved and pointed "baby" teeth to broad, flat "molars" in adults.

Reproduction: Eggs are laid in termite mounds and hatch in 10-11 months.

Taxonomy & Relationships: Closely related to white-throated (Varanus albigularis), savannah (V. exanthematicus) and Yemeni (V. yemenesis) monitors.

Variation:

Additional Comments:

Type Specimen: Presumed lost. Linnaeus based his description on illustrations in Albert Seba's Thesaurus.

 Literature: Click on a book to order a copy

Bennett, Daniel. 1998. Monitor lizards: Natural history, biology & husbandry. Edition Chimaira. ISBN: 3-930612-10-0.

Eidenmüller, Bernd. 1997. Warane: Lebensweise, Pflege, Zucht. Herpeton, Offenbach. In German. ISBN: 3-9802892-7-3.