About 94 species of lizards with long necks, powerful tails and claws and strong legs, from 20 cm long to the 3 m Komodo dragon. Most are carnivores. They have the highest resting metabolism of any living reptile and hunt by active pursuit, like mammals of a similar size.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
Bites from monitors cause rapid swelling, bleeding problems and shooting pain, likely from mild venom.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Monitors are a staple of the reptile pet trade; the savannah monitor and Ackie dwarf monitor are the most commonly kept.
Do people eat it?In places
Some peoples in India, Nepal, the Philippines, Australia and Africa eat their meat, and in Vietnam and Thailand it is a delicacy.
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia, Australia, New Guinea, North America
ColoursGrey, Brown, Black
SizeLarge
Length20 cm to over 3 m (Komodo dragon)
Legs4
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for10–20 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Africa, Asia and Oceania, including New Guinea and Australia; the Nile monitor is invasive in South Florida.
- What it eats
- Mostly smaller reptiles, fish, birds, insects, small mammals and eggs; a few species also eat fruit.
Did you know
Can count, and unlike most reptiles it has the stamina to run down prey.
Rock monitors fed different numbers of snails could tell apart numbers up to six.
Nile monitors team up: one lures a crocodile away from her nest while the other digs up the eggs.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
