Inc. All rights reserved. These 4 - 6 foot long carnivorous lizards are not as large as the Komodo Dragon, but they are well adapted for survival in their home on the dry savanna of South Africa. To avoid the intense heat of the savanna, monitor lizards take shelter under tree roots or in burrows during the hottest part of the day. They also lay their eggs during the onset of the rainy season so the hatchlings will arrive when food is more plentiful.
Monitor lizards have massive bodies with powerful legs for running swiftly.
Long, sharp claws assist in digging dens, climbing and are used as weapons. When threatened, monitors inflate their bodies and hiss, deterring attack with a violently lashing tail. Prey is detected with a forked, snake-like tongue which tracks the scent. Their diet consists of turtles, lizards, snakes, mice, birds, carrion and invertebrates. Monitors have sharp teeth and can expand their mouth cavity to swallow prey whole.