What Is Varanus? About The Genus Of Monitor Lizards
WHAT IS VARANUS – In this topic, we are going to know and learn about the genus of monitor lizards called Varanus.
Varanus is a genus of large lizards in the lizard family Varanidae. They have long necks powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs.
They cover a vast area and occurs through Africa, the Indian subcontinent, to China, the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan, south to Southeast Asia to Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, and islands of the Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea.
They are nearly carnivorous and preys on insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Three species in the Philippines are frugivores or fruit eaters. They are the Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor, Panay monitor, and Gray’s monitor.
The genus name is derived from the Arabic word waral or waran which is from a common Semitic root ouran, waran, or waral, which mean “dragon” or “lizard beast”.
Examples
Here are some of the species:
- Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor | V, bitatawa
- Panay monitor | V. mabitang
- Gray’s monitor | V. olivaceus
- Komodo dragon | V. komodensis
- Bengal monitor | V. bengalensis
- clouded monitor | V. nebulosus
- blue-tailed monitor | V. doreanus
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