Crocodile Monitor Lizard

An image from my archives, taken on 4 April 2010, at the Calgary Zoo. Unfortunately, the Australia House at the Zoo has been shut down since then, as it was so badly in need of repair.

"Varanus salvadorii, first described in 1878, is the largest species of monitor lizard found in New Guinea, and is believed to be one of the longest lizards in the world, reaching up to 244 cm (8.0 ft). It is an arboreal lizard with a dark green body and yellowish bands, a blunt snout and a very long tail. It lives in mangrove swamps and coastal rain forests in the southeastern part of the island, where it feeds on birds, small mammals, eggs, and carrion in the wild, using teeth that are better adapted than those of most monitors for seizing fast-moving prey. Like all monitors it has anatomical features that enable it to breathe more easily when running than other lizards can, and V. salvadorii is thought to have greater stamina than most monitors. Little is known about its reproduction and development, as the species is very difficult to breed in captivity.

V. salvadorii is threatened by deforestation and poaching, and is protected by the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) agreement. The lizard is hunted and skinned alive by tribesmen to make drums, who describe the monitor as an evil spirit that "climbs trees, walks upright, breathes fire, and kills men". However they also say that it gives them warnings if there are crocodiles nearby." From Wikipedia.