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Varanus salvator
This was not very large,. The yellow throat was a surprise.
On the side of a road! It was totally unconcerned about the vehicles. The monitor lizard climbed a cement platform which I think is used to slaughter chicken and sell meat (although it was clean and there were no chickens around...just the smell). The tail was hanging above an open drain that ran parallel to the road and below the platform. Then it explored the platform a bit and finally, sprawled lazily soaking up the winter sun. I always thought Varanus lizards are huge...this one wasn't. But Wikipedia says juveniles are more brightly coloured; this one wasn't.
The exact area is Shyamkhola and urban Kolkata is rapidly expanding here...a threat to biodiversity. I was happy when a local shop keeper (in response to my statement that I hoped they would not kill it) said, " They are our friends."
Oops. Somehow I pasted in the wrong link. Here is the diagram of nostril location https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_mon...
Looked at both species...and thoroughly confused. Keeping it as Varanus sp. for the time being. Thanks..
Based on the position of the nostril and the banding on the snout I think this is not V. bengalensis. See the diagrams here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_... Based on these features and the proximity of the spotting to Bangladesh, I'm going to venture that it is V. salvator. See also http://www.monitor-lizards.net/species/s...
Spotted on Nov 14, 2015
Submitted on Nov 14, 2015
+1
