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SPECIES: Varanus mertensi — Mertens' Water Monitor

CLASSIFICATION: Endangered

Is there anything the Mertens' Water Monitor can't do: it can climb trees, it can swim (and very well at that) and is competent on land also. Mertens' Water Monitor, a monitor of up to 2m, is found throughout northern Australia, and is light grey to dark brown, scattered light spots and a matching light belly underneath. Monitors are excellent swimmers, built with a long, powerful tail to propel themselves when hunting in the water and nostrils on top of their head (similar to that of a crocodile), which enables them to stay partly submerged while searching and stalking their prey. Did we mention they can hold their breath for up to 30 mins.

The Cane Toad invasion across northern Australia has drastically decimated the population of this Monitor lizard - one toad is poison enough to kill. Just devastating.

Photo: Summerdrought

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