Ornate monitor
| Ornate monitor | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  (disputed) | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Polydaedalus |
| Species: | V. ornatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus ornatus (Daudin, 1803)
| |
The ornate monitor (Varanus ornatus) is a monitor lizard that is native to West and Middle Africa.[1][2] It was subsequently described as a separate species on the basis of reduced number of ocelli rows on the body, a light coloured tongue and a more massive build.[3] More recent work based on a large sample size using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences indicates that Varanus ornatus is not a valid species and that animals with the diagnostic appearance belong either of two sister species of Nile monitor.[1] Animals described as ornate monitor lizards are native to closed canopy forests in West and Middle Africa.[1]
Description
The back is dark – olive green to black – with cross bands of yellow or cream color ocelli plus additional bands on the tail. The ventral side is yellowish with gray banding. The number of ocelli bands on the body, four, or five, was supposed to distinguish V. ornatus from V. niloticus, which has from six to nine. The markings fade somewhat as the animal matures.[4][5] Ornate monitors are quite large and can grow up to two metres in length.
References
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
dowellwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Varanus ornatus Archived 2010-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Böhme, W., & Ziegler, T. (1997). A taxonomic review of the Varanus (Polydaedalus) niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766) species complex. The Herpetological Journal 7: 155-162.
- ^ "Ornate Nile monitor". Toronto Zoo. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
- ^ "Nile monitor, Water leguaan". Mampam Conservation. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
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