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Monitor Lizard

July 2009. This appears to be the Sulawesi endemic of the Varanus salvator Complex of Water Monitor. It is called the Togian Monitor. Water Monitors are carnivores, and have a wide range of foods. They are known to eat fish, frogs, rodents, birds, crabs, and snakes. They have also been known to eat turtles, as well as young crocodiles and crocodile eggs. Like the Komodo Dragon, they will often eat carrion. As it's not their bite that will kill, rather the bacteria within the ridges of the mouth that will cause a nasty infection and cause their prey to die, they much prefer to feed on a corpse. That way they can feed without a struggle.

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Uploaded on July 18, 2009
Taken on July 18, 2009