Other members of the Varanidae Family include: Komodo Dragon of Indonesia, and goannas of Australia and SE Asia
8-10 years in the wild; 15-20 in captivity
Dry and hot Western and eastern central sub-Saharan African grasslands
Ranging in size from 2-5 feet long (females much smaller than males), thick and stocky with relatively short limbs. Coloration varies depending on habitat and they can be striped or spotted. The Monitor's tongue is long, forked and blue, and their trachea (wind pipe) extends all the way up to right behind the front mandibular (lower) teeth. This adaptation allows them to literally fill their throat with a large meal while still being able to breathe. They can also dislocate their hyoid (a bone that is underneath the base of the tongue) in order to enlarge their throat and swallow prey whole. During the wet season (generally about 8 mos.) when prey is much more plentiful they can consume almost one tenth of their body weight in a single day! During the remainder of the year (dry season) they are fasting and can live off the fat reserves built up over the "feast season".
Carnivore: an excellent predator, hunting in cooler daylight hours (diurnal) a large variety of insects, birds, rodents, other reptiles, amphibians, snails and eggs; at TSZ Zilla is fed adult mice (thawed from frozen and warmed) and superworms.
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