A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Varanus niloticus
Nile Monitors can grow to about 9 feet in length. They have muscular bodies, strong legs and powerful jaws. The teeth are sharp and pointed in juvenile animals and become blunt and peg-like in adults. They also possess sharp claws used for climbing, digging, defense, or tearing at their prey. Like all monitors they have a forked tongue, with highly developed olfactory properties. Their nostrils are placed high on the snout, indicating that these animals are highly aquatic, but are also excellent climbers and quick runners on land. Nile Monitors feed on fish, snails, frogs, crocodile eggs and young, snakes, birds, small mammals, large insects, and carrion.
Niles live throughout Africa. I spotted this one on a mangrove tree near the rainforest in Loango np.
Saw this nile monitor while on a boat in Loango np. Loango National Park offers breathtaking panoramas and the unique opportunity to observe elephants, buffalos, hippos, gorillas and leopards venturing onto the white sand beaches.
Spotted on Mar 10, 2004
Submitted on May 9, 2011
6 Comments
Thanks Greg. Thankfully, no, I've never been bitten by one. The one in your story sounds very cool. I never had one quite that friendly, lucky you!
I live in South East Asia. Where there are delicacies westerner's will probably will not consider it as edible but for us that is considered it snack or even source of protein.One example now are that monitor lizard, grass hopper and red ant larva are some of the few of the forest bounty the community used to gather seasonally.
Yes, there are over 70 species of monitor lizard. Where did you live before the US? If you don't mind me asking....
Oh you mean to say there are different kinds of monitor lizard? Then yes that's a big possibility it was a water monitor lizard I saw and participated in eating too before I move here in the US.
No, they don't change color. You probably saw a water monitor lizard.
check out my other spotting.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/572...
is that a juvenile because I saw a monitor lizard before and the color was greenish black or are they like chameleons that they could change color where ever they are?