Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)

Genera: 1 Subgenera: 9 Species: 70 Distribution: occur in Africa (absent from Madagascar), Asia, and Australia. Most modern species are also distributed in New Guinea.

Ecology and behavior: Most monitor lizards are terrestrial, but many arboreal and semi-aquatic species exist. Semi-aquatic species swim and dive well; some can remain underwater for about an hour. As a rule, these lizards are diurnal. The black tree monitor is often active at dusk; nocturnal activity has also been recorded for Komodo and water monitors. Depending on species, females lay from 4 to 70 eggs in moist soil, plant litter, burrows, tree hollows, or termite mounds. They feed on invertebrates and vertebrates: insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, lizards, and snakes (including venomous ones). Morphological traits: up to 3 meters in length. Monitor lizards differ from other lizards by a fully ossified skull. The dentary and splenial bones are separated from other lower-jaw bones by a vertical suture that forms a movable articulation. In mollusc-feeding forms, posterior teeth are broadened and blunt. In the Komodo monitor, teeth are strongly laterally compressed and have serrated cutting edges. The tongue is long, deeply bifid anteriorly, and can retract into a special sheath, as in snakes. Comparatively large eyes are located on the sides of the head, well developed, with round pupils and separate movable eyelids. Ear openings are open and large. The elongated head sits on a long neck, passing into an elongated powerful body. Well-developed muscular five-toed limbs. The tail is strong and rather long. Semi-aquatic species use the tail as the main locomotor organ during swimming, and in them the tail is strongly laterally compressed. Monitor lizards can also use the tail as a defensive weapon, delivering strong whip-like strikes. Varanus komodoensis Varanus Merrem Varanus panoptes Varanus salvator Sources: Life of Animals in 7 volumes / Chief editor V.E. Sokolov.

Vol.

Amphibians and Reptiles. / A.G. Bannikov, I.S. Darevsky, M.N. Denisova et al.; ed. by A.G. Bannikov — 2nd ed., revised. — Moscow: Prosveshchenie, 1985. — pp.

245-246.