As its Latin subspecific moniker suggests, Varanus bengalensis nebulosus bears a pattern that has earned it the common name Clouded Monitor. Unlike its larger and more adventurously urban cousin the Water Monitor (Varanus salvator), this smallish member of the vast and ancient Varanid family is restricted to forested areas, probing the leaf litter by day for small morsels and roosting in the shelter of trees at night.
This two-and-a-half foot long lizard was lounging by the side of a jogging trail at MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Unhappily, it attracted the attention of a family, and for some reason, the young sir of that clan thought aloud that it would be a good idea to lop a rock at the reptile. Hearing the word 'throw', budak decided to place himself between the monitor and the boy, threatening him with my digicam (mrs budak contributed a deadly glare). To his credit, the father admonished his son. But whenever the monitor moved and seemed to be treading closer to the trail, the kid continued to utter "throw a stone!" We stayed by the trail until the happy family were safely out of sight.
The lizard was disturbingly undisturbed by the human activity (including passing gangs of plodding joggers), so I grabbed a photo-opportunity to show yet another example of the disgusting, slimey, repellent creatures that lurk in the nature reserves, deserving only hatred and destruction in the hands of ten-year-old boy-wonders.
OMG! i still cant believe it even though i know there are such ignorant little brats around! can't imagine the angst i fill right now. wtf does he think he is?! I WOULD LIKE TO THROW A ROCK AT HIM! see how he'd like that! WTF!
Posted by: angry monkey | 07 February 2005 at 04:13 PM
Are monitor lizards harmless to humans?
Even as a city kid who cannot tell a monitor lizard from a small crocodile.. I know better than to aggravate two-and-a-half foot long scary looking reptile!
We can only hope our boy-wonder would modify his behaviour when meeting unfamilar creatures before he unwittingly aggravates some other species which may not be as peaceable. Else he may not make it to puberty. (Assuming he does not get clubbed to death by a digicam first!)
"Mess not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.."
Posted by: knightofpentacles | 08 February 2005 at 09:25 PM
As far as I know, nobody has ever died, lost a limb or even suffered lifelong trauma from a clouded monitor lizard.... large Water Monitors (3 ft or more) can have a very nasty bite and scratch though.... but like sharks, it's more often the case that they end up in human cooking pots. More info here: http://mampam.50megs.com/monitors/salvatmag.htm
Posted by: budak | 10 February 2005 at 05:16 PM