Rusty desert monitor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rusty desert monitor |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Varanus
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| Species: |
eremius
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The rusty desert monitor (Varanus eremius) is a small monitor lizard that lives in Australia. It is also known as the pygmy desert monitor. This lizard belongs to a group called Odatria. The Pygmy mulga monitor is also part of this group. Like other monitor lizards, the rusty desert monitor lays eggs. This means it is an oviparous animal.
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Discovering the Rusty Desert Monitor
Scientists Arthur H. S. Lucas and Charles Frost first described this lizard. They shared their findings with the Royal Society of Victoria in 1895. This is how the rusty desert monitor got its official scientific name.
Where the Rusty Desert Monitor Lives
The rusty desert monitor is the most common type of pygmy goanna. It lives in desert and semi-desert areas. You can find it in South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. It might also live in Queensland.
What the Rusty Desert Monitor Looks Like
This monitor lizard can grow to about 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) long. Its body color is usually light to dark reddish-brown. It has many black or dark brown spots that are not in a regular pattern. Sometimes, you might see smaller cream-colored spots too.
Its tail has cream-colored and dark brown stripes. These stripes often break up into spots near the base of the tail. There is also a clear black stripe. This stripe goes from its snout (nose area) all the way to its eye.
How the Rusty Desert Monitor Behaves
This lizard spends most of its time on the ground. It does not often climb trees. So far, scientists have not been able to get them to breed in captivity.
What the Rusty Desert Monitor Eats
Scientists have studied what these lizards eat. They found that the rusty desert monitor mostly eats other lizards. About 76% of its diet is other lizards, especially a type called Ctenotus. It also eats large grasshoppers sometimes. Occasionally, it will eat scorpions too.
