Euprepiosaurus
Varanus indicus (DAUDIN 1802)
Mangove Monitor
 
indicus
V. indicus
Maningrida, NT
Varanus indicus is a member of the subgenera Euprepiosaurus. Also the members of the V.-prasinus group are very closely related with this species.
The coloration of the back is brown with numerous yellowish-green to yellow scattered spots. The belly is white or cream-colored. The head scales are small and smooth apart from the sclaes under the supraoculars. The nostril is situated at the side of the snout, only marginly closer to the eye than to the tip of the snout. 110-180 scale rows are around midbody. The belly scales are small. The tail is strongly compressed at the side with a low average keel. The length is about 1.4-1.8 times the SVL. The scales on the tail are smooth, but slightly keeled. They are not ordered in rings, because the scales of the underside are larger than the ones on the top. The total length is up to 120 cm.
The pattern varies within the big distribution area.
Distribution, habitat and behavior

indicus

Varanus indicus is common in the Indian Pacific area. Because he is very strongly adapted to the mangrove marshes, his distribution is restricted to the coastel areas of the islands he occupies (BÖHME et al. 1994, MCCOY 1980, MERTENS 1942d, O’SHEA 1991, SPRACKLAND 1992, 1995). This also applies to the distribution within Australia (COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, ZIEGLER et al. 2001).
V. indicus lives in the mangrove belt in the northern part of the Northern Territory up to Cape York Peninsula in the upper north of Queensland. The distribution extends far into the pacific island world, these animals are indroduced also into Guam (DRYDEN 1965, DRYDEN et al. 1969, WIKRAMANAYAKE & DRYDEN 1988). V. indicus was also indroduced to several islands into the Pacific Ocean, e.g. on the western Carolina Islands, to get rid of the rat plague (UCHIDA 1966).
V. indicus is always found close to the water edges, the animals mostly stay in the mangrove belt. Their food consists mostly in fish. But also any other animal which they can overpowered will be taken (LOSOS & GREENE 1988, SPRACKLAND 1992, 1995).

Keeping and breeding
 The keeping of V. indicus requires sufficient space. Since the animals are water monitors in the wild, you have to offer them the possibility for swimming. A large water basin is necessary in the enclosure. The furnishing has to be done for the needs of the kept monitors. Some thick logs and hiding-place possibilities are recommended for the well-being of these animals. A nesting box adapted to the size of the animals is also necessary.
The captive husbandry of Varanus indicus and the raising of the offspring has been published within the last years repeatedly (WESIAK 1993a, b, KOK 1993, 1995a, b).
Two males and a female of this species are kept together in one enclosure measuring 110 cm x 3.4 m x 2 m (WESIAK 1993a). A water basin build of glass fiber polyester mixture, measuring 190 x 105 x 40 cm is positioned into the ground. A nesting box, measuring 60 x 40 x 40 cm is also implemented, to give the animals a suitable spot for egg laying. Sand is used as substrate within this box, whereas the rest of the enclosure is made of styrofoam and epoxy resin, which is dusted with sand, to form some rock like formation, which can be used by the monitors for climbing (WESIAK 1996). The female laid about 6 weeks after an observed mating eggs repeatedly. In most times, they were removed of the female not scattered in the enclosure buried, specially in the nesting box simply, however. A young animal hatched out from 5 clutches of eggs with altogether 25 eggs after an incubation period of 174 days. The eggs were bedded down in vermiculite and the temperature in the incubator was 28.5°C. The hatchling had a total length of about 26.8 cm, 11.1 cm were allotted to SVL. The weight was 22.0 g. At which the female buried altogether 60 eggs in the nesting box, 8 youngsters hatched after 158-176 days at another 8 clutches of eggs. The incubation was carried out at these clutches of eggs in damp vermiculite. The last clutch of eggs only was brought about in damp Perlite. The temperature was between 28.9 and 30°C. After hatching the young monitors weighted between 20 and 26.5 g and had a total length between 25.5 and 28.6 cm. The low hatching rate based on, that the female has eaten 26 eggs immediately after egg-laying (WESIAK personal comm.).
Another breeding group consisted of two males and a female (KOK 1993, 1995a, b). Between 1992 and 1994 the female laid 5 clutches with altogether 25 eggs. The inkubation happened in damp peat at 26-34°C. After 150-182 days together 18 young animals hatched from all clutches. The total length of the animals was between 27 and 31 cm.
The raising of all offspring was without any problems.
   
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