That Reptile Blog » Monitors

World’s Smallest Frogs Added to 2011’s List of Newly-Discovered Amphibians

findiviglio — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:55:03 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Two frog species recently discovered in southeastern New Guinea are smaller than any other 4-legged vertebrate. Within their pea-sized bodies, they pack a brain, lungs, heart, digestive system and most of the other organs that people have…simply astounding! Tiny Frogs and Fish The frogs, Paedophryne dekot and P. verrucosa, were collected More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

World’s Smallest Frogs Added to 2011’s List of Newly-Discovered Amphibians

New Test for Cryptosporidiosis, an Incurable Disease of Snakes and Lizards

findiviglio — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:38:49 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. A decade or so ago, Cryptosporidiosis became recognized as a major concern in captive snake and lizard collections. Caused by a one-celled parasite known as Cryptosporidium varanii, the disease remains incurable to this day. At the Bronx Zoo, where I worked at the time, tests showed that many snakes already in More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

New Test for Cryptosporidiosis, an Incurable Disease of Snakes and Lizards

2010’s Reptile Discoveries – New Lizard Species and Facts

findiviglio — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:44:09 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Several newly-discovered lizards and unexpected lizard facts made herp headlines in 2010. From a female-only species to a 6-foot-long, brightly-colored new monitor, each gave us pause to wonder…”what’s next?! Two Large Monitors Undiscovered animals tend to be small and non-descript, but not so with Asia’s new contributions to the lizard role More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

2010’s Reptile Discoveries – New Lizard Species and Facts

The Natural History and Captive Care of the Mertens’ Water Monitor – Part 2

findiviglio — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:54:19 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Please see Part 1 of this article for information about the natural history of the Mertens’ Water Monitor, Varanus mertensi, including the threat posed by introduced Marine Toads, Rhinella marinus. Cage Size and Style Mertens’ Water Monitors may be the ideal choice for folks interested in keeping larger monitors, but who lack More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

The Natural History and Captive Care of the Mertens’ Water Monitor – Part 2

The Natural History and Captive Care of the Mertens’ Water Monitor – Part 1

findiviglio — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:32:31 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Many lizard-keepers find Mertens’ Monitors, Varanus mertensi, to possess an ideal mix of large and small monitor qualities. While large enough to satisfy the desires of aspiring Crocodile Monitor keepers, they can be comfortable in sizable, but less than room-sized, enclosures. Description Mertens’ Water Monitor (not to be confused with the More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

The Natural History and Captive Care of the Mertens’ Water Monitor – Part 1

A Monitor First – Male Rosenberg’s Monitors Cover and Guard Nests

findiviglio — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:04:12 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. I remain awed by the learning abilities and complex behaviors evidenced by the Water and Lace Monitors I cared for at various zoos…spend time with any species and you’ll quickly see why. Despite being popular study subjects, monitors are constantly surprising us. For example, the current issue of The Journal of More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

A Monitor First – Male Rosenberg’s Monitors Cover and Guard Nests

Large, Colorful Monitor Lizard Discovered – the Second New Monitor This Month!

findiviglio — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:48:08 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Herpetologists still reeling from the recent (April, 2010) discovery of the 6-foot-long Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor (Varanus bitatawa) in the Philippines have had yet another shock this week – a large, Red-Headed Monitor Lizard, previously unknown to science, has surfaced in Indonesia! A glossy black body and brilliant red head More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

Large, Colorful Monitor Lizard Discovered – the Second New Monitor This Month!

Discovery of a Huge, Arboreal, Fruit-Eating Monitor Shocks Herpetologists

findiviglio — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:07:56 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. It’s well-known that the world still hides countless “undiscovered” animals and plants – even Central Park in NYC recently yielded a previously unknown centipede. However, it is still something of a surprise when large, colorful creatures remain unseen into modern times. Such is the case for the Northern Sierra Madre Forest More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

Discovery of a Huge, Arboreal, Fruit-Eating Monitor Shocks Herpetologists

The Crocodile Monitor Lizard – Reality and Legend

findiviglio — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:04:21 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Despite – or perhaps because of – its immense size, impressive armament of teeth and scarcity, the spectacular Crocodile Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvadorii) is often considered the crown jewel of private and public monitor collections. I became acquainted with these formidable giants when they were first imported into the USA, and More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

The Crocodile Monitor Lizard – Reality and Legend

Feeding Captive Savannah Monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) and Black and White Tegus (Tupinambis merianae): Zoo Med’s Canned Tegu and Monitor Diet

findiviglio — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:16:46 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Browsing the pages of Herpetologica and other journals over the years, I several times came across field studies indicating that certain populations of savannah monitors consumed diets composed entirely of invertebrates. In certain seasons, the lizards gorged on either locusts or land snails exclusively for months on end. When some captives More >

Post from: That Reptile Blog

Feeding Captive Savannah Monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) and Black and White Tegus (Tupinambis merianae): Zoo Med’s Canned Tegu and Monitor Diet