Blue-tailed monitor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-tailed monitor |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Varanus
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| Species: |
doreanus
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| Synonyms | |
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List
Monitor doreanus MEYER 1874
Varanus kalabeck PETERS & DORIA 1878 Varanus kalabeck BOULENGER 1885 Varanus kalabeck DE ROOIJ 1915 Varanus indicus kalabeck MERTENS 1942 Varanus doreanus doreanus BÖHME 1994 Varanus doreanus doreanus DE LISLE 1996 Varanus indicus kalabeck AVALOS & MARTINEZ CARRION 1997 Varanus doreanus AST 2001 Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) doreanus ZIEGLER et al. 2007 Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) doreanus KOCH et al. 2013 Varanus doreanus COGGER 2014 Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) doreanus BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016 |
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The blue-tailed monitor is a fascinating type of monitor lizard. It is also known as the blue-tailed tree monitor or Kalabeck's monitor. Its scientific name is Varanus doreanus. This lizard belongs to the Varanidae family, which includes all monitor lizards.
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About the Blue-tailed Monitor
The blue-tailed monitor is part of a special group of lizards. This group is called the V. doreanus complex. It includes other monitors like Finsch's monitor and Mussau Island blue-tailed monitor. Scientists believe these lizards started to become different species about 4.1 million years ago.
Where Blue-tailed Monitors Live
You can find blue-tailed monitors in many places. They live across New Guinea and nearby islands. These islands include New Britain, the Bismarck Archipelago, Biak, Salawati, and Waigeo. They also live in northern Australia, specifically on the Cape York Peninsula.
These monitors like to live in different kinds of habitats. They can be found in rainforests. They also live near dry streambeds and along rivers. These areas are called riparian zones.
What Blue-tailed Monitors Look Like
Blue-tailed monitors can grow quite large. They can reach a total length of about 135 centimeters (about 4.4 feet). This measurement includes their long tail. Their body is usually a grayish-blue color. It is covered with round, eye-like spots called ocelli.
Their throat is whitish and has many dark patterns. The tail is very special. It has a clear double ridge. The tail is also a bright light blue, which gives the lizard its common name. This blue color has black bands across it. In older lizards, the blue color on the tail might fade a little. The scales on their neck are smooth and oval. They have a yellow tongue, which is a common feature in their lizard group.
What Blue-tailed Monitors Eat
Blue-tailed monitors are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They eat a lot of different animals. They especially like to eat other vertebrates, like birds. This is more common for them than for some other monitor lizards. They also eat invertebrates, such as beetles.
Blue-tailed Monitor Behavior
Like many other monitor lizards, males sometimes fight each other. They do this to win over females or to protect their territory. They stand on their back legs and wrestle.
In Australia, blue-tailed monitors have predators. One of their main predators is the black-headed python. Blue-tailed monitors often share their habitat with other monitor species. These include the mangrove monitor and the peach-throated monitor.
