Pics of Big Monitors

[tHeGiNo]

Hey I was wondering if all you guys with big monitors could post some pictures showing their actual size, things to scale it with in other words. Thanks in advance!

[ChunkyMunky]

http://www.cadalyst.com/reviews/hardware/0702monitors/iiyama.jpg

[Beejay]

YOU are such a geek lol

[ChunkyMunky]

dont make me post the video.

[BAZ]

Here u go G.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1619me_salvator02_small.jpg

[V.hb]

Holy ***** BAZ, thats one mother of a salvator!! how big was it??? thats gotta be a 7 footer?? heavy too!!

[BAZ]

I don't this he is bigger than 6 actually.. he is pretty broad tho... chunky beast :P

[markb]

Hi Baz,
Very nice salvator - eating monkeys yet? Or lion cubs?? Nice pic of a healthy beast. Does he go for walks in public parks? A friend of mine out here had a 7+ foot V.salvator that ate the public ducks and chased geese, but sometimes the geese chase him!

cheers,
markb

[Scales Zoo]

Nice Water!

They look so big when they are so heavy. Ours is a bit past 5', and I bet it is as long as the one posted.

The nice things about fat monitors, is they are tame! I think I should make our water fat, to make it easier to catch the next time we have to.

Actually, since ours came to our home, he is absolutely fantastic. I wonder if it has something to do with him now knowing that I can catch him and move him. He eats, doesn't hide, and doesn't seem to mind me entering his cage to clean it any longer.

He was really vicious at one time, but it seems that he has become much more dociile since we moved him home.

Ryan

[tHeGiNo]

Hey Ryan, quit talking about the monitors and POST PICS ALREADY! LOL :D Baz, thats an awesome monitor. Oh one thing I forgot to mention, Varanids are not my strongest field so if you don't mind, please state the species of the varanid as you post. Thanks again. Baz, awesome monitor dude, your crazy lol.

[Invictus]

LOL @ ChunkyMunky... you beat me to it. :)

Baz - WOW, that's a big leezord. Do you have to file down those claws? He looks like he could pull out your spleen. :)

[asphyxia]

Although far from full grown... below pic of my Varanus Albigularis shot today

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/9850_1_Albig_Rat_012-med.jpg

Cheers
Brian

[BAZ]

That Water monitor (varanus salvator) is at Little Rays Reptile Zoo. He used to be quite mean and about a year ago he would probably have bitten my face off if I did this but he has really mellowed out. Seemed like he mellowed out after we put a very tame female in with him.

Here is another water monitor in Singapore. As you can see the coloration on it is very dark and he is almost black. Yup thats a otter next to him. They have water monitors and otters living together in that zoo quite peacefully.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1619singapore_salvatorotter.jpg

These are water monitors from India which I got to spend some time with.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1619salvator_02.jpg

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1619salvator_01.jpg

[Bartman]

Is the biggest monitor the komodo?

BAZ - how come the monitor doesnt eat the otters? Is it not tasty enough or is it causs there the same size?
great pics btw

[Hamster of Borg]

http://www.ravnos.org/photos/z-lizards/komodo8.jpg

Komodos are certainly big enough for me. :) No scale, sorry... I couldn't convince my wife to run over and give him a hug.

Ham

[BAZ]

The heaviest monitor is the komodo. The longest would be the crocodile monitor.

I asked the curator at Singapore zoo about why the water monitor doesn't attack the otters and he told me that if the water monitor ever stepped out of line with the otters they would gang up on him and put him in his place.. I guess they learned fast not to mess with the otters lol.

[LadyHawke]

well this is my savanna monitor...he's not full size yet, but he's the biggest monitor i have at the moment, hopefully by this weekend that should change.......

[Tim and Julie B]

I saw a show on National Geo were a bunch of Large (HUGE!) river otters would attack and eat caimen. I had no idea otters were so aggressive. Cute and deadly! TB

[Burm41]

Komodos are big and scary, i have seen alot of Komodos on Nation Geographic channel and they would be far the biggest.

[TheRedDragon]

Holy ***** Baz! Wicked pic, love the lizard!

[BAZ]

I'm planning a trip to Komodo Island in the next 2 to 3 years... anyone interested in coming? :)

I also was told that the Andaman Islands have really huge water monitors. The people at the Crocodile bank in Madras have a base in the Andamans and they even said that the huge monitors on the Andamans are recognised as a distinct species (varanus andamansis) but I am not sure if this classification is accepted worldwide. The best way to describe these monitrs would be to think of the biggest water monitor you have seen and then think of a komodo and these monitors fall in the middle of these sizes. I will try and get a pic of these monitors from the people who work there.

[Steeve B]

Hello Baz, This is a new discovered yellow Komodo population a few hundreds kilometres off komodo, aim planning to go within the next 2 years, maybe you and me should have a talk about this.
Also I have a pair of nicobar salvator witch for the first time sins I got them in 92 breed; they are the same as adaman totally black in coloration. Also IV been following the madras croc bank since they started with there salvator and snake program, must have been a fun trip.
Rgds

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/959yellow_Komodo-med.jpg

[BAZ]

Wow look at the colour on that guy! :)

The Madras Croc Bank is looking for homes for the remaining salvators (accredited zoos only). Once these are gone I was told they plan on getting some of the andaman ones and getting them to breed in captivity.

[BAZ]

Andaman Water monitor - Varanus salvator andamanensis

Just thought I would correct myself ;)

[SHvar]

My little girl...

[mbayless]

As for V.s. adamanensis, it depends on who you talk with. The original description is not so good, and considered very "iffy" nowadays. Ask John A. at cybersalvator.com..

Harry Andrews and Rom Whitaker over at Madras Croc Bank have been doing extensive field work in the Andamans for many years, describing new species almost monthly!! There is a brief paper on breeding of V.s. andamensis last year if anyone interested in Hamadryad (2002).

Island varanids tend to get larger as no predators. Actually V. salvator is longest recorded Varanus at 10'3"; V. komodoensis at 10'2"; V. salvadorii at 8'3", but I am sure this latter measurements will be about 12-14 when they find it! V.komodoensis is the heaviest monitor, so combined with length, it is the largest overall.

Of course Megalania of Australia was 1500 pounds, 16-23 feet long, and rumors of large Varanus in S. PNG may be relic populations of this species - maybe wishful thinking on my part, but it has been photographed, and is HUGE (Arthur C. Clarke, Mysterious World Vol. 3)!

Cheers,
markb

[Scales Zoo]

Hi Mark.

I read in the article you wrote for the June 98 Reptiles magazine that the heaviest crocodile monitor documented weighed 15 lbs.

Is 15 lbs still the heaviest crocodile monitor documented?

Any idea what some record weights on salvator or niloticus. I've read water monitors can get 70 lbs, and Steve once made a mention of a really heavy nile he has.

Ryan

[Scales Zoo]

I re-read the reptiles magazine article, and see mention of a crocodile monitor weighing 18 lbs. I still thought of them as being heavier than this.

Did you ever get more info about the big one in Mysterious World?

I'm an avid fan of cryptozoology, and would love a huge varanid to be found in PNG. I believe in my heart that there is something really large yet to be found.

Ryan

[mbayless]

Ryan,

Your wish may be answered. I have found such an animal in Africa, and details are here, sitting, waiting. We're waiting and hoping to get a specimen for the collection museum, and then name it after the fellow who first reported it 1950. Be patient. I have spoken to 5 zoologists who have seen it across Africa since 1974. It is there, and 7+ feet. It is NOT a nile or ornatus type - completely different.

As for PNG/Fly River goanna - Ive spoken to the the man who took the film and he reports it is a real, non-mythical entity.... time too will tell with it, and it is HUGE....

Good Luck, Cheers fellow Dragon seekers,
markb

[chuck911jeep]

so, i'm sill lookig to wich one have the longest monitor....

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

I cant see the pic of the Yellow Komodo Dragon..

[mbayless]

The longest living varanid is the 1896 V. salvator at 10 feet, 3 inches to-date; Fossil Varanus goes to Megalania prisca at 21 feet.

Cheers,
markb

[Steeve B]

Sorry I hade to delete the Komodo pic, as these photos are going to be bublished soon by there auther, I wanted Baz too see them.
Rgds