The Mangrove Monitor is a large species of monitor lizard that is native to Australia, New Guinea and other surrounding islands. They can grow to around 4ft in length.
This species has a number of different common names including the Mangrove Goanna and the Western Pacific Monitor Lizard. Its scientific name is Varanus indicus.
Mangrove Monitor Taxonomy
The Mangrove 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 Mangrove Monitor belongs to is called Varanus. This is essentially the genus of Monitor Lizards, which are native to Africa, Asia and Oceania.
This is a large genus of lizard that contains over 60 different species including some of the largest lizards in the world such as the Komodo Dragon and Nile Monitor.
The genus name, Varanus is derived from the Arabic word ‘Waral’ which simply translates into Monitor. It contains many commonly known species including the Ackie Monitor, the Asian Water Monitor and the Black Throat Monitor.
They belong to the sub-genus Euprepiosautus which also contains their close relatives, the Peach Throat Monitor and the Blue Tailed Monitor.
The Mangrove Monitor itself was first described in 1802 by the French herpetologist named Francois Marie Daudin. Its scientific name is Varanus indicus.
The Mangrove Monitor is very closely related to the Blue Tail Monitor, the Peach Throat Monitor and the Solomon Island Spiny Monitor.
Mangrove Monitor Description
The Mangrove Monitor is a large species of lizard than can grow to around 4ft in length. It has a distinct dark purple tongue and serrated teeth.
They have a typical ‘monitor appearance’ with their long neck and head, sturdy legs and sharp claws. They also have a muscular tail that they use to help them swim.
The background color of the lizard is black, dark brown or very dark green in color. Their body is covered in small yellow or golden colored spots than run from the head to the tail of the monitor.
The size and intensity of the spots can vary greatly from specimen to specimen. The monitors tail makes up around two thirds of its overall length and is laterally compressed to help the lizard swim.
Like many species of snake, the Mangrove Monitor has a Jacobson Organ. They use this organ to detect prey and ‘taste’ the environment around them.
They use their fork shaped tongue to gather scents and then process the information by touching their tongue to the opening of the organ when it is retracted.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Mangrove Monitor can be found in parts of Northern Australia, New Guinea and some of the surrounding islands. To the East of New Guinea, they can be found on the Solomon Islands and on the Bismarck Archipelago.
To the West of New Guinea, they can be found on some of the Indonesia islands such as Biak and Waigeo. They are capable of island hopping by swimming across the ocean from island to island.
They can also be found deeper into the Pacific in places such as the Marshall Islands, the Carolina Islands and the Mariana Islands.
The Mangrove Monitor likes to live near bodies of water and are often found in damp forests, around coastal rivers or lakes or in mangroves which is where these lizards get their name.
They live in a part of the world that has a huge diversity of different reptile species. They share part of their geographic distribution with a wide range of other reptiles such as the Black Tree Monitor, Bismarck Ringed Python, Blue Tailed Monitor, Blue Tongue Skink, Boelen’s Python, Crocodile Monitor, Emerald Tree Monitor, Amethystine Python, Mourning Gecko, Peach Throat Monitor and the Pink Bellied Side Neck Turtle. However, some of these reptiles may have different habitat niches.
Diet
The Mangrove Monitor is an opportunistic hunter and will feed on a wide variety of different prey. They are the only monitor capable of catching fish in deep water.
This is because they have salt excreting nasal glands which allows them to swim in saltwater and feed on marine life. Their tail is laterally compressed which helps them to swim.
Other than marine prey, these lizards will feed on a wide variety of other wildlife including rodents, birds, insects, crabs and even other smaller lizards.
These opportunistic predators will even eat the eggs from reptile and bird nest. They will also eat the remaining flesh of any dead animal they come across. They will even eat human garbage if food is scarce.
In captivity a Mangrove Monitor should be fed a varied diet. Some of the items they are often fed include mice, ground turkey, eggs, rats, chicks, fish, crickets and mealworms.
Some people even feed their lizards canned dog food. However, canned dog food should not be used as the only source of food for a Monitor.
These lizards have a ferocious appetite and will usually accept food eagerly any time it is offered. This can easily be confused with hunger so be careful not to overfeed them.
Mangrove Monitor as Pets
A Mangrove Monitor is not a typical species of lizard that should be kept as a pet in captivity. Due to their size and activity level, they need an extremely large enclosure.
On top of this, these lizards require specialist care in areas such as temperature and humidity. While this is relatively easy to control in small enclosures, it is more difficult in very large elaborate enclosures.
A Mangrove Monitor is not a puppy. These animals have sharp claws and may bite if they feel threatened or mistake your hand for food. They do contain a type of venom and while this isn’t considered medically significant, bites can still be serious.
You should have significant experience with keeping reptiles before you decide to purchase a Mangrove Monitor. You should reach out to an experienced keeper before purchasing an animal to learn how to keep these lizards successfully.
Mangrove Monitor Enclosure
A Mangrove Monitor requires a very large enclosure as they are a relatively large species of Monitor. They are also very active so will need plenty of space to move, climb jump and swim.
An adult monitor should be housed in an enclosure measuring at least 6ft x 4ft x 4ft. This is the minimum amount of space you should offer one of these lizards but the more space the better.
This amount of space isn’t practical for the vast majority of reptile keepers and only people with large facilities or outdoor space with the correct environment can really provide these lizards with the space that they need.
Mangrove Monitor Behaviour
The Mangrove Monitor is an opportunistic feeder and will eat a large variety of prey. These lizards are even known to change their primary food source when things get scarce.
This monitor is even known to eat the flesh from carcasses and there are also documented reports of these lizards foraging through garbage in search of a meal.
In captivity, it is often seen that a male Mangrove Monitor tends to be more aggressive than a female. If these lizards feel threatened, they can give a nasty bite or scratch. They are also known to defecate on a potential threat.