Habitat: Aru Islands Forests
Status: Vulnerable
DAK Locale: Rafiki's Planet Watch
The black tree monitor, named for its black scales, is found only in the forests and swamps of the Aru Islands off New Guinea in Indonesia. For some time, it was considered a subspecies of the closely related Emerald Tree Monitor. However, since 1991 it has been considered its own species.
At birth, the lizard is a dark grey with yellow-green spots on its back. The scales gradually turn black and the spots fade. Generally, they can be large as about four feet with males being bigger than females. The tails are long - about two-thirds the size of the body. Its prehensile and helps with its tree dwelling life. The feet have large claws and adhesive pads for helping climb and live in trees. They are carnivorous eating other lizards, small mammals, and insects.
The species is vulnerable due to its very limited range and habitat loss. It is also popular in the pet trade with most animals being wildly caught instead of born in captivity.
No comments:
Post a Comment