Sub-Saharan Africa
Escaped or released pets
Containment
The Nile monitor is a large lizard that can grow to more than 5 feet long. Its body is gray-brown and marked with bands of lighter-colored spots with speckles between them. On the tail, these bands of spots appear as solid bands. The head is marked with light-colored, V-shaped marks. Nile monitors have muscular bodies and long, muscular tails that taper on top in the shape of a rudder to assist in swimming.
Other species of monitor lizard, such as the common water monitor (Varanus salvator) and savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) have also been found in South Florida but with no evidence of breeding.
Monitor lizards are predators that eat mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and eggs. They are a threat to Florida’s native wildlife, including some endangered and threatened species like burrowing owls, sea turtles, and crocodiles. In residential areas, they are also a danger to people’s pets.
There are breeding populations of Nile monitors in Lee, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Individuals have also been observed throughout the state, including multiple observations in Broward County. Nile monitors are strong swimmers and are often found near water, especially in urban and suburban areas. They are active during the day and burrow or hide at nighttime.
EVERGLADES CISMA SIGNATORIES
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Last updated May 2023 / Privacy