Description:
Scientific name: Varanus gilleni
Life span: Up to 20 years
The pygmy mulga monitor is a small monitor lizard and reaches a maximum size of around 40 cm. It lives in the trees and has a prehensile tail. Brown color dominates the top surface, which becomes gray toward the sides. The nostrils are situated midway between the eye and the top of the snout, on either side of the muzzle. It typically weighs between 60 and 80 grams. Spines on the sides of the male vent help to differentiate men from females.
Native Region/Habitat
The species is indigenous to the spinifex sandplains in central and northwest Australia. It lives beneath the loose bark of desert she-oaks and in the hollows of mulga, eucalyptus, and myall trees.
Behavior:
They are carnivorous and arboreal. Despite being arboreal, they forage a lot on the ground to find their meal. Spiders, beetles, orthopterans, and various lizards, notable geckos, are the main prey items for pygmy mulga monitors. Pygmy Mulga Monitor is one of the simplest monitors to care for. They are slower and less ferocious than some of the other species. These monitor lizards are quite energetic and will examine the enclosure for insects, especially when they are starting this species possesses one of the greatest factorial aerobic scopes of any vertebrate, which contributes to its exceptionally high endurance.
Care As a pet/In captivity:
They are very easy to maintain. The length of the cage should be at least twice as long as the largest lizard that will be housed inside of it, and greater is preferable. These monitors should have lots of hiding places as well as enough vertical and horizontal climbing material because they love to climb. This highly active species will like large cork bark flats, tubes, manzanita, live oak, and other branches. Maintain a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for pygmy mulga monitors. There should be a 140-150 F basking area available.
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