BIRDWALKERMONDAY

This Blog contains Wildlife and Bird Photos from Walks, Safaris, Birding Trips and Vacations. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon P900 and P950X cameras. On the right of the page are labels for each species of Bird/Animal etc. Click on a label and it will show all of the photos taken for that species. I am adding as much information for each species as I can from sources Wikipedia. To see any pictures at full size just click on the picture.

Showing posts with label NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus). Show all posts

Friday 29 December 2023

25-12-2023 ATLANTIC BLV, GAMBIA - NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus)

The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor family (Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in drier regions, and along the Nile River and its tributaries in East Africa. Additionally, there are modern, invasive populations in North America. The population found in West African forests and savannahs is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the West African Nile monitor (V. stellatus). While it is dwarfed by its larger relatives, such as the Komodo dragon, the Asian water monitor or the crocodile monitor, it is still one of the largest lizards in the world, reaching (and even surpassing) Australia’s perentie in size. Other common names include the African small-grain lizard, as well as iguana and various forms derived from it, such as guana, water leguaan or river leguaan (leguan, leguaan, and likkewaan mean monitor lizard in South African English, and can be used interchangeably).

A feral population of Nile monitors (descended from escaped or intentionally-released pets) has become established in several locations in South Florida. In addition to any illegally-released animals, it is speculated that during particularly intense hurricane seasons in Florida, many reptiles potentially escape when their enclosures are damaged or inadvertently unlocked; as Florida has a semi-tropical to tropical climate, many reptiles are housed outdoors, and poorly-secured enclosures may become damaged during bad storms. Along with Nile monitors, Florida is infamous for its feral populations of agamas, Argentine black and white tegus, Burmese pythons, green iguanas, Madagascar giant day geckos, and panther and veiled chameleons, among others. Many of these species are thought to be descendants of hurricane escapees.

Saturday 4 June 2022

26-4-2022 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/71085-Varanus-niloticus

Thursday 2 June 2022

24-4-2022 CALYPSO BAR, GAMBIA - NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/71085-Varanus-niloticus

Wednesday 4 May 2022

16-4-2022 MANDINA LODGE, GAMBIA - NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/71085-Varanus-niloticus

Sunday 27 March 2022

6-6-2019 KHWAI CAMP, BOTSWANA - NILE MONITOR (Varanus niloticus)

The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor family (Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile, with invasive populations in North America. The population in West African forests and savannahs is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the West African Nile monitor (V. stellatus). It is one of the largest lizards in the world reaching and even surpassing the perentie by size. Other common names include the African small-grain lizard, as well as iguana and various forms derived from it, such as guana, water leguaan or river leguaan (leguan, leguaan, and likkewaan mean monitor lizard in South African English, and can be used interchangeably). A feral population of the lizards, descended from escaped or intentionally released pets, has become established in several locations in Florida.

Nile monitors are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile. They are not found in any of the desert regions of Africa (notably Sahara, Kalahari and much of the Horn of Africa), however, as they thrive around rivers. Nile monitors were reported to live in and around the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and wadis of the Judaean Desert in Israel until the late 19th century, though they are now extinct in the region.

Nile monitors are often found in the pet trade despite their highly aggressive demeanor and resistance to taming. Juvenile monitors will tail whip as a defensive measure, and as adults they are capable of inflicting moderate to serious wounds from biting and scratching. Nile monitors require a large cage as juveniles quickly grow when fed a varied diet, and large adults often require custom-built quarters.

"There are few lizards less suited to life in captivity than the Nile monitor. Buffrenil (1992) considered that, when fighting for its life, a Nile monitor was a more dangerous adversary than a crocodile of a similar size. Their care presents particular problems on account of the lizards' enormous size and lively dispositions. Very few of the people who buy brightly-coloured baby Nile monitors can be aware that, within a couple of years, their purchase will have turned into an enormous, ferocious carnivore, quite capable of breaking the family cat's neck with a single snap and swallowing it whole."