Friday, October 30, 2009

Moniter lizard


Monitor lizards also known as bayawak or goannas, genus Varanus, are members of the family Varanidae. Varanus is a group of carnivorous lizards which includes the heaviest living lizard, the Komodo dragon and the crocodile monitor which is the longest lizard in the world. The closest living relatives are the anguid and helodermatid lizards.[1]

Monitor lizards are generally large reptiles, although some can be as small as 12 centimetres in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semi-aquatic monitors are also known. Almost all monitor lizards are carnivorous, although Varanus prasinusand Varanus olivaceus are also known to eat fruit.[2] They are oviparous, laying from 7 to 37 eggs, which they often cover with soil or protect in a hollow tree stump.[3]

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