Is it ornate or nile? Help?

[marina322]

Hi everyone, so I recently received a nile monitor (I think) but the appearance is leaning more towards ornate to me. Hopefully the experts can answer and help me? He/she has a pinkish lavender tongue color. What do you think?

[dave himself]

I'm definitely no expert :D, but going on what I know about monitors, imo that's an ornate. Just because of the colour of the tongue, and the markings. But as I said my knowledge is very limited :)

[murrindindi]

Hi everyone, so I recently received a nile monitor (I think) but the appearance is leaning more towards ornate to me. Hopefully the experts can answer and help me? He/she has a pinkish lavender tongue color. What do you think?


Hi, recent studies have shown that V. ornatus is not a valid species, merely a morph of Varanus niloticus. Your photo shows a typical V. niloticus.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiW5Ou24qHUAhVhDsAKHYBPAtUQFggxMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mampam.com%2Findex.php%3Fopti on%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D199&usg=AFQjCNGqNVDeJ5Jpgjnom6gi7trNOvvjCw