Family Varanidae Higher classification Rock monitor | Phylum Chordata Suborder Scleroglossa Genus Varanus Rank Subspecies | |
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Scientific name Varanus albigularis albigularis Similar Monitor lizard, Rock monitor, Reptile, Black‑throated monitor, Ornate monitor | ||
White throated monitor fis feeding
The white-throated monitor (Varanus albigularis albigularis) is a lizard found in southern Africa. They are usually gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to 2 m in length. They are found in Southern Africa, northwards to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique.
Contents
White throated monitor eating roach egg
Taxonomy
First described by François Marie Daudin in 1802, these lizards were previously classed as a subspecies of Varanus exanthematicus, but have since been declared a distinct species based upon differences in hemipenal morphology. The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل, which is translated to English as "monitor". Their specific name comes from a compound of two Latin words: albus meaning "white" and gula meaning "throat".
As a pet
This subspecies is kept as a pet.
