{"id":64695,"date":"2026-02-12T08:09:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=64695"},"modified":"2026-02-12T08:10:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:10:32","slug":"monitor-lizards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=64695","title":{"rendered":"Monitor Lizards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During our recent refueling stop in Bali, Elder G<\/strong> and I<\/strong> came across the Monitor Lizard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monitor Lizards: The Nuts and Bolts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Monitor lizards<\/strong> are lizards in the genus Varanus, the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania[…] About 80 species are recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitor lizards have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. The adult length of extant species ranges from 20 cm (7.9 in) in some species such as Varanus sparnus, to over 3 m (10 ft) in the case of the Komodo dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Will There Be a Buffet?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Habits and diet<\/strong>
Most monitor lizards are almost entirely carnivorous, consuming prey as varied as insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, molluscs, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Most species feed on invertebrates as juveniles and shift to feeding on vertebrates as adults. Deer <\/strong>make up about 50% of the diet of adult Komodo dragons<\/strong>, the largest monitor species. In contrast, three arboreal species from the Philippines, Varanus bitatawa, V. mabitang, and V. olivaceus, are primarily fruit eaters.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A Word of Caution<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Monitor lizard meat, particularly the tongue and liver, is eaten in parts of India and Malaysia and is supposed to be an aphrodisiac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consuming raw blood and flesh of monitor lizards has been reported to cause eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, as some monitors are hosts for the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both meat and eggs are also eaten in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand as a delicacy.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Stay Away from the Hemipenes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The dried and dyed hemipenes of Bengal monitors, and less often yellow and water monitors, are frequently trafficked and illegally sold in India […] Sellers advertise ‘Hatha Jodi’ as having the tantric power to bring wealth, power and contentment. A pair of hemipenes may sell at a value of up to US$250. […] [T]here is no scientific evidence as to their effectiveness.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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A Bengal monitor eating a bird egg in Kaziranga National Park
By Donvikro – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=163875096<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Water monitor (V. salvator)
By yeowatzup – Monitor Lizard, Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, Singapore, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=24522492<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Monitor Lizard Sightings in North America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although monitor lizards are not native to North America[1]<\/sup>, some have achieved prominence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/sup> [Monitor lizards] are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the southern United States as an invasive species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is some evidence to suggest that a significant portion of the current federal administration is composed of monitor lizards. This theory has met some push-back, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n