The Black Roughneck Monitor is a species of Monitor lizard that is native to South-East Asia in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
They are very rarely seen in the wild as their habitat isn’t easily accessible for humans. They like to live in rainforests and Mangrove Swamps.
They are a medium to large sized lizard with adults growing to around 3-4 feet in length, although they can sometimes grow a bit larger.
Black Roughneck Monitor Taxonomy
The Black Roughneck Monitor belongs to the Varanidae family of lizards. This family contains only one genus of living lizards. There are two extinct genera associated with this family, Ovoo and Saniwa.
The remaining genus, and the genus that the Black Roughneck Monitor belongs to is called Varanus. This is essentially the genus of Monitor Lizards, which are native to Africa, Asia and Oceania.
There are many species in the Varanus genus including the Kimberley Rock Monitor, the Argus Monitor and the Timor Monitor.
The closest living relatives to the lizards in the Varanus genus are the species in the anguid and helodermatid genera.
The lizards in the anguid genus are native to the Northern Hemisphere and include the glass lizards and the alligator lizards.
There are only 5 species of lizards in the helodermatid genus and they are all venomous. This family includes the Gila Monster.
Monitors are a large genus of lizard that contains over 80 different species at the time of writing. However, many species and sub-species are constantly being disputed so the exact number will change from time to time.
The group of Monitor lizards include some of the largest species of lizards in the world such as the Komodo Dragon and Crocodile Monitor.
The genus name, Varanus is derived from the Arabic word ‘waral’ which simply translates into Monitor.
The scientific name for the Black Roughneck Monitor is Varanus rudicollis. It is often referred to as just the Roughneck Monitor for short.
Black Roughneck Monitor Description
The Black Roughneck Monitor is a medium to large sized lizard with adults growing to around 3-4 feet in length. However, on occasion some adults can reach up to 5 feet in length.
They have a typical ‘Monitor’ appearance with their short legs, long tail and strong body. They also have a forked tongue that they use as a sensory organ.
One of their defining features is their large pointed scales that extend from the back of their neck. This is what gives these lizards their common name.
Their eyes are positioned to the side of their head and they have a long-pointed snout and large mouth.
They are black or dark grey in color. However, juveniles have various markings along their bodies. This helps them blend into their background and avoid being detected by larger predators.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Black Roughneck Monitor is a species of Monitor lizard that is native to South-East Asia where they live in the Rainforests and Mangrove Swamps of the region.
They can be found in parts of Southern Thailand and on mainland Malaysia. They can also be found on Sumatra, Borneo and other surrounding Indonesian islands.
These lizards are rarely seen by humans in the wild as they live in the Rainforests and Mangrove Swamps of the region. These habitats are remote and not easily accessible to people so encounters are not very common.
Behaviour
The Black Roughneck Monitor is a diurnal species. This means that they are active during the day and sleep during the night.
Despite their large size, these Monitors are arboreal and will spend a large amount of time off the ground. They will spend time in trees and on low lying branches and fallen logs.
However, they can also be found on the forest floor searching for food. Juveniles in particular will use the leaf litter as camouflage to avoid being detected by a potential predator.
Black Roughneck Monitor Diet
Not a huge amount is known about what a Black Roughneck Monitor will eat in the wild. However, a number of small studies have been conducted.
It is believed that the bulk of their diet actually consists of large insects such as grasshoppers, Roaches and other large invertebrates of the region.
They will also consume things like snails, frogs and crabs. These lizards are excellent swimmers and will also consume fish.
While things like small mammals, rodents and bats aren’t believed to make up the bulk of their diet, the Black Roughneck Monitor is an opportunistic hunter and will feed on them from time to time.