Scientific name : Varanus sp.
Family : Varanidae
Native to : Africa, Asia and Australia
Interesting fact : It was believed that monitor lizards were a sign of crocodiles around as they stood on hind legs and monitored predators.
Conservation status : Threatened
With a whopping 76 different species, monitor lizards vary in size from 20 cm to over 10 feet long. They have powerful legs, claws, tails and forked tongues that sense prey. Their diet includes eggs, reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals. Found near river banks and coastal forests these large lizards can live from 8 to 30 years.
