Order Squamata
Suborder Anguinomorpha
Superfamily Varanoidea
Family Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Varanus indicus.
Appearance: All living varanids share a small head, long neck, sturdy body and limbs, and long, powerful tail.
Distribution: Old World tropics: Africa, Asia, Australia.
Habitat: Arid or desert areas to tropical rain forest.
Size: 23 cm (pygmy goanna, Varanus brevicauda) to 3.1 m (Komodo dragon ,V. komodensis) total length (however, the tail makes up most of the animal). Fossil monitors are estimated to have been 6 meters long!
Reproduction: Oviparous. Their courtship is often preceded by rirualized male combat, that is, an upright grappling/dancing posture.
Food: All varanids are carnivores, although the Philippine butaans (V. olivaceus) seasonally eat fruit. The smaller species prey mainly on insects, small reptiles, and amphibians. With increasing body sizes, prey preference shifts increasingly to larger vertebrates, including mammals.
Behaviour: Most species are terrestrial-arboreal predators, searching for prey in trees as well as on the ground. Some species (V. indicus, V. niloticus) regularly forage near water and occasionally in water. Varanus mertensi feeds and hides in water.
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