Varanus
olivaceus HALLOWELL 1857
Gray’s Monitor
Gray's
Monitor is a member of the subgenera Philippinosaurus. It can reach
a total length of 175 cm. The bottom coloration is a dark olive-green with
several dark crossways ribbons. The head seems massive and it is short and
high. A yellowish coloration can be seen at the tip of the snout and the
lips. The nostril is like a slit and is situated approximately in the middle
between the tip of the snout and the eye. 169-214 scale rows are around
midbody. The tail is pressed together at the side and shows a low double
keel on top. The pattern consists of indistinct dark olive-green bands.
Its length is approximately 1.2-1.6 times the SVL.As food these animals prefer not only insects and small vertebrates, but also snails and fruits (AUFFENBERG 1988, CARD pers. comm.).
Varanus olivaceus lives in the southern end of Luzon Island and Catanduanes Island. There you can find the monitor in woodlands, where it lives as a tree climber (AUFFENBERG 1988).
The
captive husbandry was successful in the zoo of Dallas (CARD 1993, 1994a, b). A female laid 8 eggs 73 days after mating. One baby hatched
after 219 days, unfortunately it died after few hours.
Recently LUTZ (2006) described a succesful husbandry of this species. About 72 days after observed mating several females laid clutches of 8-10 eggs. After an incubation period of 157-201 days the babies hatched. The incubation temperature was between 27.5 and 34°C. The hatchlings measured 32-40 cm total length. Raising the babies is a bit complicated, but not impossible. In the beginning they are fed with pinky mice, fledgelings of sparrows, snails, shrimps, small crabs, and lots of different insects . After the firts 6 months, the babies were also fed a vegetarian diet.
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