Nile monitor

Nile monitor
Temporal range: Miocene-Recent [1]
Botswana
Lake Baringo, Kenya
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Varanidae
Genus: Varanus
Subgenus: Polydaedalus
Species:
V. niloticus
Binomial name
Varanus niloticus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Nile monitor's native range (including West Africa Nile monitor, now often recognized as a separate species)
Synonyms
List
  • Lacerta monitor Linnaeus, 1758 — nomen rejectum
  • Lacertus tupinambis Lacépède, 1788
  • Lacerta capensis Sparrman, 1783
  • Lacerta nilotica Linnaeus, 1766
  • Tupinambis elegans Daudin, 1802
  • Tupinambus ornatus Daudin, 1803
  • Monitor niloticus Lichtenstein, 1818
  • Monitor pulcher Leach, 1819
  • Stellio saurus Laurenti, 1768
  • Varanus niloticus Mertens, 1942
  • Varanus (Polydaedalus) niloticus ornatus Mertens, 1942
  • Varanus (Polydaedalus) ornatus Böhme & Ziegler, 1997

The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor family (Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in drier regions, and along the Nile River and its tributaries in East Africa. Additionally, there are modern, invasive populations in North America. The population found in West African forests and savannahs is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the West African Nile monitor (V. stellatus).[3] While it is dwarfed by its larger relatives, such as the Komodo dragon, the Asian water monitor or the crocodile monitor, it is still one of the largest lizards in the world, reaching (and even surpassing) Australia’s perentie in size. Other common names include the African small-grain lizard,[4] as well as iguana and various forms derived from it,[5] such as guana, water leguaan[6] or river leguaan (leguan, leguaan, and likkewaan mean monitor lizard in South African English, and can be used interchangeably).[7]

A feral population of Nile monitors (descended from escaped or intentionally-released pets) has become established in several locations in South Florida.[8] In addition to any illegally-released animals, it is speculated that during particularly intense hurricane seasons in Florida, many reptiles potentially escape when their enclosures are damaged or inadvertently unlocked; as Florida has a semi-tropical to tropical climate, many reptiles are housed outdoors, and poorly-secured enclosures may become damaged during bad storms. Along with Nile monitors, Florida is infamous for its feral populations of agamas, Argentine black and white tegus, Burmese pythons, green iguanas, Madagascar giant day geckos, and panther and veiled chameleons, among others. Many of these species are thought to be descendants of hurricane escapees.

  1. ^ "KB3, Kossom Bougoudi (Miocene to of Chad)". PBDB.org.
  2. ^ Wilms, T.; Wagner, P.; Luiselli, L.; Branch, W.R.; Penner, J.; Baha El Din, S.; Beraduccii, J.; Msuya, C.A.; Howell, K.; Ngalason, W. (2021). "Varanus niloticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T198539A2531945. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T198539A2531945.en. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. ^ Dowell, S.A, D.M. Portik, V. de Buffrenil, I Ineich, E Greenbaum, S.O. Kolokotronis and E.R. Hekkala. 2016. Molecular data from contemporary and historical collections reveal a complex story of cryptic diversification in the Varanus (Polydaedalus) niloticus Species Group. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 94(Part B): 591-604. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.10.004
  4. ^ "Synonyms of Nile Monitor (Veranus niloticus)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. ^ "iguana". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  6. ^ Varanus niloticus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 15 September 2019.
  7. ^ "leguan - definition". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Nile Monitor". Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 24 October 2022.