Just like chicken

The lizards many of us urbanites are accustomed to are small, adorable(subjective of course) little things that are often a little translucent . Like these, there are many cute little lizards out there in our world so big and blue. And then, there are the BEASTLY looking ones (though we find them kind of cute too- in the eye of the beholder, and all that?) that range from 2 to 3m long! They are the varanids, deemed to be the REAL dragons by Rodney Steel.

For those of you who think THAT is ginormous *snort* : Some 20 000 years ago in the continent of Australia there used to roam the mother of all terrestrial lizards! The Giant Megalania! (Picture below) At an incredible 7m long, weighing a hefty 600kg, it was THE LARGEST known terrestrial lizard of all time! Unfortunately(or fortunately to some) this lizard is now extinct. Or is it? Apparently quite a number of Aussies go missing every year, with a number of them still not found...to this very day...lost, without a trace... *chomp chomp* Just kidding :)

Artist's depiction of the Giant Megalania 

(Adapted from this website, on 17th February 2010)

This little guy(or gal, can't quite be sure) in the picture below was seen hanging around the pond at the Resort at Sebana Cove. Its pretty difficult to identify the gender of a monitor lizard unfortunately, though adult males are generally larger than adult females. However, since this one is still young and not a fully grown adult, we're forced to call it 'He-She'. Nice ring to it, don't you think?

The juveniles of most species of monitors head to the nearest water body because it's relatively more safe than being out in the open, advertising its presence to predators. Unlike humans(well, most of us anyway), a 'baby' monitor's biological parents are not known to take care of it. A harsh reality for a tiny, tasty varanid.  Okay, so we don't know for sure that it is tasty, but the hundreds, and maybe even thousands who've eaten it thus far can't be wrong can they? Also, even as adults they are known to head for water at the first sign of danger. Maybe that's why little He-She over here keeps hanging out by the pond?

Malayan Water Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator)

There are several different "types" of Varanus salvator. The one shown here is probably Varanus salvator salvator since the other subspecies("types") are not known to be found in Malaysia. This subspecies has the widest range from Sri Lanka and India through much of Southeast Asia. It is highly adaptable and eats pretty much any animal (dead or alive) it can find- mammals, teeny crocs, turtles, birds, fish... and even...*drum roll* human corpses in graves!! We suddenly see the appeal of cremation. Beats having your body ripped open(and into pieces as well) and your guts gobbled up by some hungry varanid...But then again, such is the circle of life :)

Since they're busy chomping on our fellow dead Homo sapiens, we figure its only fair that we chomp on them too! Monitors are eaten in all the regions that they are found in. In Myanmar for instance, the eggs of the Varanus bengalensis (another species of monitor lizard) are prized by the locals. They cost more than plain, old, boring chicken eggs. They eat the full grown lizards too! Apparently, they taste...

Just like chicken :)

References

De Lisle, H. F. (1996). The Natural History of Monitor Lizards. Florida: Krieger Publishing Company.

Steel, R. (1996). Living Dragons. London: Ralph Curtis Books.