IMG_0448-0(W) Juvenile Clouded Monitor Lizard (Varanus nebulosus) during blue hour before sunset

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Distribution: All across South East Asian countries.

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Note: Rescued this specimen from our office cat named Stoking. Couldn't help but take a few shots prior to release. It's spotted skin and texture blended well with the tree bark.

 

Description: Clouded Monitor Lizard is much smaller (maximum 1.5 m) than their famous cousin the Asian Monitor Lizard or Water Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator) which can grow to 1.5–2 m (4 ft. 11 in – 6 ft. 7 in). According to Camina (2019), Water Monitor Lizard mainly frequent the ground, but also climb trees. Juveniles are more arboreal in habits and feed largely on insects (Eidenmüller, 2021).

 

Varanus nebulosus had previously been listed as a subspecies of Varanus bengalensis by some herpetologists. Like many monitor lizard, this species is a diurnal monitor.

 

Malay name: Biawak Kelabu, Biawak Puru, Biawak Tikus

Diet: insects, crabs, birds, small reptiles (e.g., snakes, gecko, skinks, lizards), fish, and amphibians

 

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