Pets

The juveniles are a dark grey with regular rows of bright yellow green dots which are very noticeable on the back. As they achieve adulthood they turn completely black. Fully grown they reach 3 to 4 feet in length, with the boys slightly larger than the girls.

Unique Characteristics

The Black Tree Monitor is well adapted for living in trees. Its long tail , up to 2/3 of the overall body length, is used to stabilize the animal in the branches. In fact the tail is used only for this purpose..

Food

The Monitors are carnivorous. They eat insects and small mammals such as shrews as well as smaller lizards Also they take scorpions, eggs, and nestlings. They are themselves predated by larger lizards and snakes.