What is a Varanus Indicus? The common name is Mangrove Monitor. If you don’t know what that is, it is a lizard. The Kingdom is Animalia, Phylum is a Chordata, Class is Reptilia, Order is a Squamata, Family is Varanidae and the species is Varanus Indicus. A Mangrove Monitor’s can grow from 3 1/2 to 5 feet . The coloration of the Varanus Indicus is dark green with various small yellow spots. The adaptation is that they have adapted several sensory organs and are venomous. They can detach their lower jaw to swallow larger prey whole. Some of the characteristics of the Mangrove Monitor are large claws and mouth with teeth that are serrated. The Habitat / Range of a Varanus Indicus.

 

The Description of a niche for a Varanus Indicus is one with forests and jungles. This ecosystem allows it to do well. It is very good at living and hiding in small cracks and can climb almost anything that has a textured surface. Because of this they thrive in trees, on land, swim, dig and do well in the rainforest. The Varanus Indicus is found in many places such as, Sulawesi, Timor, Maluke, Iran Jaya, the Philippines, and the Indonesia Rainforest. There seem to be around two thousand Monitors in each of the various habitats. Are the populations growing or shrinking? The groups of the Mangrove Monitors are shrinking. The Mangrove Monitors are shrinking due to the effects of Urbanization. Also, they are shrinking because of the trapping, shooting and the poisoning that has been going on.

 

The Diet and Feeding Habits of a Varanus Indicus. The Role in the food web for the Mangrove Monitor is that it eats small mammals, insects, crabs, birds, bird eggs and other lizards. The way they compete for food is that they have four strong legs with five sharp-clawed toes. They can increase the size of their mouth to eat larger prey. The Varnaus Indicus is a kind of lizard that competes for food with other species that live in their habitats, such as other lizards, snakes, fish and larger mammals.

 

The Predators that eat the Mangrove Monitors are man and predators which are larger than the monitor lizards. This Varanus Indicus evades being eaten by running, climbing and hiding in large cracks in trees and foliage. The interesting thing that stood out while I was reading about the Varanus Indicus was that it is found in many different parts of the world and can detach its lower jaw to swallow the larger prey. I learned that the Mangrove Monitor has adapted several sensory organs and are venomous. I also learned that they are very good at living and hiding in small cracks and can climb almost anything that has a textured surface.

 

Author: Karie O.

Published: Jan 2007

 

Bibliography:

Book Bennett. Daniel. Little Book OF Monitor Lizards Publisher Unknown, 2002 Encyclopedia Wikipedia. "Monitor Lizards Internet Web Site Zip code Zoo 1-20-2007 www.zipecodezoo.com"