Monitor Lizards

Water Monitor (Kabaragoya)

 Monitor Lizards are large reptiles belonging to the genus Varanus and the family, Varanidae. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs.  In Sinhalese the Monitor Lizard is called Thalagoya and the Water Monitor is called Kabaragoya and they are known as Udumbu in Tamil and Goannas in Australia.  There are about 60 varanid species and the last one was discovered in 2009 in New Guinea.

Evolution

Monitor lizards differ greatly from other lizards in several ways, possessing a relatively high metabolic rate for reptiles and several sensory adaptations that benefit the hunting of live prey. Recent research indicates that these lizards, including the Komodo dragon, may have some venom. It is also believed that the monitor lizards have evolved from the Mosasaurs that lived during the Cretaceous era.

Distribution

The various species of Varanus cover a vast area, occurring through Africa, the Asian subcontinent from India and Sri Lanka to China, down Southeast Asia to Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and islands of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. There is also a large concentration of monitor lizards in Tioman Island in the Malaysian state of Johor.

Monitor Lizard (Thalagoya)

Characteristics and Behaviour

Some are small reptiles of less than a foot in length, while the Komodo Dragon, the largest living lizard, grows to 2-3 meters. All monitors are tropical reptiles and carnivorous but some are known to be omnivorous as well. They are active lizards that may be very hostile, lashing out with their tails upon the slightest provocation. Even a small monitor can produce a stinging lash with its tail. Monitors will devour anything they are capable of overpowering and tend to swallow their prey whole, like snakes. Monitors are daytime lizards. Their diet composes of small birds, large insects and crocodile and bird eggs, crabs, fish, other lizards, frogs and squirrels.

Monitors do not divest themselves of their tails, like some other lizards. Once lost, the tail of a monitor does not grow back. They are mostly terrestrial, but many are agile climbers and good swimmers. They lay from 7 to 37 eggs, which they often cover with soil or protect in a hollow tree stump. Eggs are 2 inches long with leathery shells. Incubation is 8 to 10 weeks. The young use an egg tooth to emerge.

Protection

In Sri Lanka monitor lizards have been granted protected status especially the Asian Water Monitor now limited to Sri Lanka. Killing or keeping any of these animals without a license will be fined. In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and all other parts of South India, catching or killing of monitor lizards is banned under Protected Species Act.