The monitor family has a lot of representatives. One of them is the Nile monitor lizard, widespread on the African continent. The impressive size and formidable appearance of the animal does not prevent him from being a pet in those people who love exoticism. Keeping a lizard in the walls of a house requires special conditions. This unusual animal will be discussed in the article.
External characteristics
Nile monitor lizard - a reptile that is the largest representative of the monitor family. The appearance of the animal and the structural features make it easy to distinguish it from other members of the family.
The monitor lizard has a rather large trunk, whose length is about two meters. Such sizes are characteristic of larger members of the family, and medium - 1.7 meters, despite the fact that the tail reaches a meter length. On top of the body is an unusual ridge, which is its bright hallmark.
The Nile monitor lizard has a muscular body. The largest representatives can weigh up to 20 kilograms. Powerful limbs are perfectly adapted for the aquatic lifestyle. On the paws are sharp, long claws. They allow the monitor lizards to cleverly climb trees, tear the victim and dig the ground. On the large head of the animal are large eyes that can simultaneously rotate in different directions. On the face are oval nostrils. The lizards have very sharp front teeth, but the back ones are blunt. The long bifurcated reptile tongue has an incredibly developed olfactory function.
The Nile monitor lizard is an exotic reptile that can have a dark brown or dark gray color, which largely depends on the habitat. The coloring of the animal is influenced by many factors, including age and lifestyle. On the body of the monitor lizard there are transverse stripes with specks and specks.
The upper part of the body is usually painted in one color, and the lower in the other is yellow with dark stripes. Young reptiles are almost black in color, which can be diluted with yellow blotches.
Habitat
For us, the Nile monitor lizard is an exotic creature that you can now meet in some houses with a pet. The birthplace of the animal is the southern lands of Africa (Nubia, Sudan, Egypt). In the wild, lizards prefer to settle on the shores of water bodies. A favorite place is the banks of the Nile, which is why the reptile got its name.
In the late nineties, animals began to be actively brought to the American continent. Currently, family members can be seen in Florida, California, and even on the famous Palm Beach beaches. Reptiles can live anywhere where there is a pond. They cannot be found in deserts, but they are often found in tropical forests, savannas, near lakes and swamps.
Lifestyle
The Nile monitor lizard is an animal that, in natural conditions, never goes far from water bodies. They spend most of their life in water, and under their thickness they can stay for about an hour. On the shore, reptiles lie quite still, substituting their bodies for the warm rays of the sun. Rocks are a favorite animal resting place. Nile monitor lizards climb trees and swim well.
Food
The most active animals in the daytime. Predatory reptiles prey on small mammals, turtles, insects. They actively tear masonry crocodiles by eating eggs. In case of danger, lizards prefer to pretend to be dead or run away to water. Young animals eat arthropods, while adults like shellfish and crustaceans. It is worth saying that Nile monitor lizards are resistant to snake poisons, so snakes are also included in their diet. At night, reptiles hide in dug holes.
The diet of monitor lizards depends on the time of year and habitat. During rains, crustaceans, amphibians, arthropods and mollusks become the main prey. During a drought, animals feed on carrion.
Varan breeding
In anticipation of the end of the rainy season, the mating season of reptiles begins. Nile monitor lizards enter into serious fights for the female, during which stronger animals try to press a weak rival to the ground. Reptiles reach puberty at the age of three to four years. Females equip their nests in termite mounds, which are located near water bodies. Lizards can lay 5–60 eggs, each of which weighs 46–52 grams. The incubation period lasts nine to ten months.
An interesting fact is that after laying the lizards, the fate of their offspring is completely not concerned. Young individuals begin to hatch only in the next rainy season. After hatching, liquid is spilled from each egg, which destroys the walls of the termite. Then the kids quietly crawl out. The lizards that were born do not exceed 22 centimeters in length. They use small amphibians, slugs and insects as food.
People and monitor lizards
The Nile monitor lizards, the photo of which is given in the article, in ancient times were considered sacred animals. Monuments were erected in their honor and worshiped. In many African countries, the situation has not changed to this day. For people the most valuable is animal skin and meat, from which local Aborigines willingly prepare a variety of dishes. Beautiful and strong leather is used in the manufacture of accessories and shoes. Aborigines use animal organs as medicines. In the last century, people actively exterminated monitor lizards to obtain skin. Up to 700 thousand skins were mined per year. An impressive figure allows us to estimate the scale of extermination. Currently, activities are underway to restore the number of lizards.
The nature of the lizards
Recently, it has become fashionable to keep the Nile monitor at home. When choosing a pet like yourself, you should know about its hostile and aggressive character. The animal can strike hard with its tail or paws. In addition, lizards have a powerful bite.
For this reason, experts categorically do not recommend getting such an animal to beginners, since the pet needs special care. The Nile monitor lizard requires close attention from the owners because of its difficult temper.
Terrariums
Lizards are not cute pussies that can fit on the couch in your apartment. Keeping a Nile monitor lizard in the house will require you to have a sufficiently large terrarium, since the animal is impressive in size. A spacious container is suitable for a pet. Its volumes should not be less than 75 liters. In the process of animal growth, it is necessary to increase the size of the terrarium.
A substrate must be present in the container. You can use ordinary sand, soil, pine sawdust, bark for orchids, artificial lawns. The base is laid out in a thick layer so that the lizard can dig holes, which is its natural need. The terrarium must be decorated with snags, tree trunks, logs, stones to simulate natural living conditions. The tank should have a spacious pool. There should be enough water so that the pet can completely immerse in it.
The home of the monitor must be zoned. In one part, it is worth organizing a place for taking warm baths, the temperature of which should not be higher than +45 degrees, the daytime should be in the range +27 - +32 degrees, and the night one should be kept within +25 degrees. In the home, the humidity level should be at the level of 60–70%.
Since monitor lizards meet their needs for water, it must be changed daily in the pool.
Proper maintenance of the animal implies the presence of sufficient ultraviolet radiation, which prevents the appearance of diseases of the musculoskeletal system in lizards. In addition, light strengthens the animal's immunity. To organize the right lighting, it is necessary to use special UV lamps.
Pet ration
Lizards are prone to overeating (and even obesity), so the diet should consist of a small number of rodents. At home, pets are fed with zoobots, crickets, eggs, low-fat fish, small rodents. And in the menu of lizards you need to regularly include minerals and vitamin supplements. They are necessary for the animal to complete development and growth. Calcium and vitamins are given to lizards once every ten days.
Terrarium Cleaning
Lizards regularly stain water with feces, so the fluid in the pool must be constantly changed to avoid the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The terrarium also needs to be regularly cleaned of food debris and other waste products.
Unsanitary conditions can trigger the development of diseases in the pet.
Safety precautions
Lizards are aggressive. Their maintenance and care require safety measures. Without protective equipment, lizards can not be picked up and fed from them. Reptiles caught in natural conditions should be checked for parasites and quarantined. As pets it is necessary to choose young individuals. The older the reptile, the more difficult it will be to tame it. Adult animals are more aggressive.
In summer and winter, they need to provide periods of rest. A monitor lizard is an unusual animal that, subject to all the rules, can become a pet. And it is worthwhile to understand that the animal is quite aggressive, and therefore it is necessary to be very careful in communicating with it. You will not be able to play with the monitor lizard, like with a cat or dog. Therefore, such a pet is not suitable for every person.
It’s not so easy to tame a lizard, but if you want and try, it’s possible. Males have a more aggressive character. But the females are less evil. But, despite the features of morals, animals love communication. They are not against tactile contacts. They can be stroked and even picked up, without forgetting to put on protective equipment. Experts recommend taking a very young animal into the house. Then you have a chance to make him a pet. And yet, in dealing with him, safety measures must be observed. Lizards are not the most kind and good creatures for home maintenance.
Possible ailments
Lizards often suffer from stomatitis. The appearance of the disease can be judged by the unpleasant odor from the oral cavity. The manifestation of the disease is accompanied by the death of tissues. The reason for this is improper nutrition or an incorrectly set temperature in the terrarium. You can cure a pet by changing the diet. A balanced meal will allow the animal to heal. Wounds are treated with creams.
Lizards often suffer from obesity. Fat deposits accumulate on the tail and stomach. The reason for their appearance is overfeeding the pet. The monitor must be put on a diet.
In animals, another disease may appear - gout. It occurs due to lack of water or malnutrition. With this disease, swelling of the joints is observed. The patient monitor must review the diet. In addition, the terrarium should always have fresh water, this is a prerequisite.