The longest known lizard is Varanus salvadorii.
It is a monitor lizard that can be found in Papua New Guinea. With this given, Varanus salvadorii is known to exhibit the same behavior of rising up on its hind legs to check its surroundings. Similar to other monitors, V. salvadorii possesses an impressive anatomical attribute that facilitates easier breathing when running. However, it is thought to have better stamina than other monitors found on the island of New Guinea.
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Crocodile Monitor: jdmpics.com |
Physical Characteristics:
- It has a blunt, peglike, bulbous snout
- It’s body is dark green with yellow spots
- It’s tail is covered with bands of yellow and black
- It has long, fanglike, straight teeth adapted to hook into fast-moving preys, such as carrion in the wild, rodents, and bats
(image taken from jdmpics.com, visit the site for more interesting stuff)
This reptile likes to hang itself onto branches using its rear legs and occasionally uses its tail for grasping or holding. According to Herpetologist Robert Sprackland, the tail of the V. salvadorii is 210% of its body length. Not only does it serve as a perfect counterbalance when leaping from one tree branch to another, its tail is also used to whip attackers as part of its defense mechanism.
It is said that this reptile evades human contact, which is good, since its bite can be fatal due to infection.
Other common names for Varanus salvadorii are the following:
- Crocodile Monitor
- Papua(n) Monitor
- Tree Crocodile
- Salvadori’s Monitor, and
- Artellia
The full length of Varanus salvadorii can reach up to 244 cm (8.01 ft), though it has been speculated that it may still increase its length.
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