Monitors - known for keeping an eye on things.
Isn't he a cutie? This is a young Nile Monitor (Varanus Niloticus) that was snapped while relaxing in our pool area.
Although he's a bright young thing with vibrant colouring and a shy smile, he's going to grow up to be a much darker, fiercer, carnivorous reptile that could reach up to 7 feet in length. Although Nile monitors religiously avoid conflict with humans, they're not to be trifled with, and have been described as being more dangerous when threatened than a crocodile of the same size.
Sadly, their youthful good looks and slow temper have caused them to be popular among the underworld of the illegal pet trade. After millennia in the wild, these ancient and surprisingly intelligent creatures don't fare well in backyards and tiny terrariums.
So, when I read recently of how the body of a man was found being devoured by his seven pet Nile monitors, my sympathies....well, were with the monitors.
