MERTEN’S WATER MONITOR

Scientific name: Varanus mertensi

Family: Varanidae

Order: Squamata

Status: Least Concern

Habitat and Distribution

Found in the tropical river banks in the north of Australia.

About the animal:

• Named after R. Mertens - German herpetologist;
• Can grow to about 1m in length;
• It likes to bask on rocks, logs and branches that overhang water pools;
• If alarmed, it quickly dives into the water and remains submerged for up to 30 minutes;
• It sometimes traps fishes in shallow drying pools by curving its tail to form a dam-like barrier.

What they eat?

Feeds on fishes, freshwater crabs, frogs, insects and turtle eggs.