Native to the southern African continent, the White-throated
Monitor (Varanus albigularis albigularis)
is actually a subspecies of the Rock Monitor.
Where does the White-throated Monitor
live?
White-Throated Monitors exhibit the characteristics
of both an arboreal
lizard and a terrestrial
lizard. Their environment includes woodland areas, savannas,
steppes and open brush areas that are not near a water
source. The species' range extends as far north in Africa
as Mozambique, Angola, and Zambia. As for individuals,
the White-Throated Monitor has an abnormally
large home range for the size of their body. Females
have a home range of about 2.5 square miles, while males
have a home range of about 7 square miles (and there
is overlap between sexes).
What do White-Throated Monitors look
like?
The White-throated Monitor are usually
found to have a gray-brown coloration with off-white
or yellow marks. As their name suggests, they do have
an ivory-white colored throat. This monitor species
can grow to reach lengths of 2 meters. In the wild,
males weigh an average of 17.7 lbs, while females can
weigh around 14 lbs. White Throat Monitors
tend to gain a lot of weight when kept in captivity.
Their bodies are very muscular, with short but strong
limbs. They have long, sharp claws on their front legs
which enable them to dig and climb very well. Their
heads are elongated and they have a rounded snout. They
have a forked tongue like all other members of the Varanidae
family which is used in a sensory manner, as well as
for drinking. The White-throat Monitors tail is long,
about the same as the length of their head and body
combined, and very strong. They use it as a weapon during
fights, as a rudder when swimming, and as a multi-use
prehensile 'limb' when on land.
Where does their name come from?
The genus name Varanus comes from the Arabic word 'waral',
which means 'monitor' in English. Albigularis
is actually a compound word made from two separate Latin
words. 'Albus' translates to "white", while
'gula' translates to "throat". Hence the name,
White-Throated Monitor.
White-Throated Monitor Pictures
White-Throated Monitor Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia |
- Phylum: Chordata |
- Class: Sauropsida |
- Order: Squamata |
- Suborder: Scleroglossa |
- Family: Varanidae |
- Genus: Varanus |
- Species: Varanus albigularis |
- Subspecies:
Varanus albigularis albigularis |
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