Description
Scientific Name: Varanus nebulosus
Life span: Up to 22-23 years
The clouded monitor may grow to a length of about 1.5 meters. It resembles another monitor called Malayan Water Monitor in appearance. Their nostrils are present between the snout and the eye. These monitors are brown-gray in color with yellow specks all over them. Clouded monitors are terrestrial species that may be found in a variety of habitats including rainforest and shrubland. They are often seen sifting through leaf litter in search of small insects and beetles. Due to its exceptional climbing abilities and sharp and strong claws, it can be seen hanging to tree trunks at lofty heights or investigating tree cavities.
Native Region/Habitat
The clouded monitor is endemic to Thailand, West Malaysia, Burma, Indochina, Sumatra Singapore, and Java. They are present in scrub forests, rainforests, leaf litter, and hidden in muddy ground.
Behavior
Clouded monitors live alone in the wild. This lizard is arboreal in nature. They spend most of their time in the trees and branches in the wild. They are diurnal which means that they like to spend a lot of time hiding or burrowing in tree holes. They are also ground dwellers. They occasionally descend to the ground in search of food. The majority of the day is spent moving around constantly in quest of food. During the breeding season, males are competing with other males for females to mate. The duration of the day length and monsoon season initiate their reproduction pattern. During breeding, females lay 9-27 eggs /clutches depending on the size of the female. About 1-2 clutches per year have been reported. In captivity, Clouded monitors depend on invertebrates, small insects, scorpions, and spiders.
Care As a pet/In captivity
It is not common to keep the clouded monitor in captivity. In most of its range, it is protected by law. However, cases of illegally importing clouded monitors have been reported.
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