Want your child to enhance their knowledge about animals and learn about rare reptiles? Introduce him to this animal!
The Earless Monitor Lizards are the closest living descendants of the animal named Mosasaurs. The Mosasaurs became extinct in the late Cretaceous period.
The genus Lanthanotus pertains to the fact that the reptile is earless, and ‘borneensis‘ pays homage to its home, Borneo.
These lizards are small and rare creatures. Human beings were unaware of their existence until they were discovered in the last century.
These live a well camouflaged and reclusive life, active only in the dark of night because they are a nocturnal species!
So reclusive are they that even the local community of the island to which the lizard is endemic had never known about the animal’s existence or movement! Imagine an unknown animal creeping up your backyard! Surprising, huh?!
Now it seems that they were better left alone because with discovery they have become prisoners of wildlife trafficking and a favorite amongst reptile collectors.
The lizards, Lanthanotus borneensis have a scaly appearance and a cylindrical body shape. They are small in length. They are dark to reddish-brown in color.
They have long necks and short limbs. They have long sharp claws and small beaded eyes. There are no visible ear openings.
They have no tympanum, which is a common ear appendage in reptiles. Sexual dimorphism is visible from around three years of age.
The animal has a prehensile tail. If the tail is hurt or damaged in some way, it cannot be regenerated. They have a forked tongue.
The lizards are usually inactive. However, they can run pretty fast if the need to arises.
The monitors are carnivorous animals. They feed on fish, crustaceans, and earthworms in the wild.
In captivity, they may be fed yolks from the eggs of turtles, baby mice, chicken, and pig liver.
The reptile’s habitats range from rainforests, rocky streams, palm oil plantations, to rice fields. They prefer the tropical zone.
The Lanthanotus borneensis is oviparous. Their reproduction habits have been recorded only in captivity. The males and the females mate for long hours.
Mating may last for almost two days at a time as has been seen amongst the animals in captivity. The female usually lays up to 12 eggs.
Mating between the animals takes place in water and then the eggs are laid by the female on land.
In captivity, the monitors have a lifespan of around seven and a half years.
Would they make a good pet?This species may make good pets, however, possessing them is illegal in most nations. Even captive breeding is illegal in many places.
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Ref: kidadl, australiangeographic, animalia.bio, wikipedia, Everythingreptiles, NationalGeographic,Pic: animalia.bio, traffic, wowshack, kidjarak, mongabay, The Animal Voice, everythingreptiles, pinterest, Animalia, AustralianGeographic, Everythingreptiles, Scaledunes
