The black-throated monitor (''Varanus albigularis microstictus'') is a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Varanidae The Varanidae are a family of lizards in the superfamily Varanoidea and order Anguimorpha. The family, a group of carnivorous and frugivorous lizards, includes the living genus '' Varanus'' and a number of extinct genera more closely related ...

. The subspecies is native to

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Description

''Varanus albigularis microstictus'' is usually a dark gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to in total length (including tail) and weigh more than . It is the largest of the four

of the

rock monitor The rock monitor (''Varanus albigularis'') is a species of monitor lizard in the Family (biology), family Varanidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, where, on average it is the largest lizard found on the continent. It is ...

, ''V. albigularis''.

Etymology

The generic name, ''Varanus'', is derived from the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

word ''waral'' ورل, which is translated to English as "warn" or "warning." The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''albigularis'', comes from a compound of two

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

words: ''albus'' meaning "white" and ''gula'' meaning "throat". The subspecific synonym, ''ionidesi'', is in honor of

Constantine John Philip Ionides Constantine John Philip Ionides (1901–1968), nicknamed "Bobby" and then "Iodine", was a British-born naturalist and herpetologist known as the Snake Man of British East Africa. His decades as game warden (conservation officer) led to him being d ...

(1901-1968), called the "Snake Man of British East Africa". Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Varanus albigularis ionidesi'', p. 130).

Diet

captivity Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...

''V. a. microstictus'' feeds mainly on whole prey, such as mice, rats, snakes,

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s, freshwater mollusks, small birds, large roaches, crustaceans, fish, and eggs. It will commonly accept cat and dog food, which is not acceptable as a staple diet due to an improper nutrient profile and high caloric content. In the wild, it will eat anything it can catch.

Description

Etymology

Diet

See also

References

Further reading