| Andy Yip :: Mertens' Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi) | |
|
Max. Length: 1 - 1.5m Distribution: Rivers, streams, creeks and billabongs of northern Australia Mertens' water monitors spend much of the dat 'monitoring' the temperature of their enclosure. Like all reptiles they gain heat from their environment so they may be seen adopting a variety of unusual postures to locate the ultimate hot spot! Similar to freshwater turtles and crocodiles, they shift between basking positions on logs and rocks and the nearby water to regulate body temperature, escape from predators, or become predators themselves! Descended from a marine lizard and related to the Komodo dragon, the Mertens' water monitor has the small head, long neck, sturdy body and long and powerful tail typical of monitor lizards. Whilst most members of the monitor family live on land or in trees, the Mertens' monitor is well adopted to life in a freshwater environment. With a tail shaped like the keel of a ship and nostrils on top of its head, they make excellent swimmers, able to stay underwater for several minutes at a time. Highly specialised valves close the nostrils when these reptiles are submerged. This allows them to walk under water with their eyes open in search of food such as fish, frogs, crabs, insects and even small mammals. What do they eat? Water Monitors feed on a large range of vertebrates, however during the dry season they vary their diet to fish and crustaceans. Where do they live? Being semi-aquatic their preferred habitat is around water courses and lagoons. Interesting facts: Their nostrils are on the top of their snout to enable them to breathe when the rest of their body is submerged. Monitor lizards get their name because of the way they monitor their environment. These lizards use a variety of senses to inspect their surroundings. Monitors use their tongue to catch scent particles which are used as "clues" to find food and mates, or to detect enemies. Monitor lizards use their tails as an area for fat storage. Is the population healthy? This particular species is under threat from the ever expanding distribution of the introduced feral Cane Toad. |
Visits: 16 times
Last changed: Dec 31, 2008 6 items in this album |
 |
[profile] [album index] [ slideshow] [photo journal] [tags]   |
|
|
 |
www.fotop.net Andy's galleryAnimals & Insects
AnimalsLizards
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [leave message] [email album] | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
||||||||
|
www.fotop.netAndy's galleryAnimals & Insects
AnimalsLizards
|
|
