Nile Monitor

                           NILE MONITOR

SCIENTIFIC NAME :-    Varanus niloticus

OCCURRENCE :-           South to east of the Sahara to Cape Province

HABITAT :-                  Forest,Open country

SIZE :-                         Length over 2 m

FAMILY :-                    Varanidae

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS :-

1. It is a strong elongate lizard with long neck and well-developed limbs having huge claws.
2. It has a broad , strong prehensile tail which it uses as a rudder while swimming and also as a fifth limb while perching on branches.
3. It stays near the water and feeds on frogs , snails , fish , eggs and young ones of crocodiles.
4. Males fight aggressively by rearing up on their hind legs and wrestling with their forelimbs.
5. The female lays upto 60 eggs in a termite mound by tearing up a hole in the wall.
6. The termites repair the wall thus sealing the eggs to safety while they hatch.