Species

Black-tailed Monitor

Varanus tristis tristis
Category: Category 4
Care Sheets:

Genus: Varanus
Small to extremely large lizards with long heads and necks, narrow snouts, well-developed limbs with 5 strongly clawed digits, deeply forked tongues and thick, loose-fitting skin with tough granular scales. there are no spines on the body, through some spp. have spiny tails. Widespread over most of mainland Australia, but absent from Tas. The majority occur in the northern and arid regions, with some localities supporting up to 10 different spp. In temperate southern areas, numbers drop to 1 or 2.

Varanus tristis tristis
Tail long, strongly keeled and round in cross-section. Scales on top of head sharply delineated from smaller scales above eyes. Ssp. is pale grey, brown to black with numerous pale ocelli aligned transversely. Head and neck black. Tail black with pale spots forming narrow rings on base; remainder patternless. Widespread in dry to arid regions. Ssp. is essentially western and orientalis is eastern, but the 2 merge and coexist in some areas and could be no more than broad geographical pattern trends. They occur in woodlands and rock outcrops, sheltering under bark, in hollow timber, rock crevices and frequently in disused fairy martins' nests.

Necessities:

Vivarium	UVA/UVB Lighting
Day heat globe	Substrate
Water bowl	Thermostat

Black-tailed Monitor Gallery

« Back to Species List