Description:
Scientific name: Varanus Flavescens
Life span: Up to 10 years in captivity
The yellow monitor lizard is medium-sized that may weigh up to 1.45 kilograms and measures about 45- 95 cm from snout to vent (including the tail). It has a short, convex-shaped snout. Its nose is an oblique slit that is slightly closer to the tip of the snout. The tail of the yellow monitor lizard is slightly compressed and keeled from the upper side. The upper side of the body is olive yellow in color with irregular dark patterns or cross bars. The dorsal surface of the juveniles is yellow in color with cross bars.
Native Region/Habitat
Yellow monitor lizards are native to Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Brahmaputra, and Ganges. They are also found in woodland borders, wetlands, and agricultural lands.
Behavior:
The yellow monitors just like diurnal lizards can regulate their body temperature hence called thermoregulators. They are cold-blooded thus their body temperature depends upon their environmental conditions. These lizards could be capable of being played. In a swamp, a yellow monitor was seen switching between floating and swimming upward without moving. They are semiaquatic in nature and are found in aquatic vegetation, canals, and rivers.
Care As a pet/In captivity:
The yellow monitor is a species that remains largely dormant in captivity. A pair kept in a 15m2 enclosure is only active for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. The yellow monitor lizard enjoys basking at temperatures as high as 45°C, like many other monitor lizards. They should have access to enough water to immerse themselves and a soft ground to dig in. They consume frogs in captivity as a food source. Give animals enough food indoors, but their meals should also contain supplements of vitamins and minerals. The most appropriate diet is probably one with a variety of small mammals, invertebrates, and amphibians.
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