An fully grown Nile Monitor warming on a rock.
The slimmer body and longer tail, the elongate head and the bluish colour make it distingishable from its land relative, the Rock Monitor.
photos: Beate Baron
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
Features:
Slategrey to blue with yellow to beige stripes on belly and tail, spots on the legs. The head is elongate and flatter than the rock monitor's.
Length: 1 to 2m
Common near large waters, the Nile Monitor is a protected species in Southern Africa.
Habitat:
Found in wet regions close to permanent rivers and lakes throughout Africa.
- Related Links
- Rock Monitor
A juvenile Nile Monitor basking in the sun. The colours on body and tail are still strong in contrast.