Reptiles
Bengal Monitor
Varanus bengalensis · also called common Indian monitor
At the edge of a village in Rajasthan, a Bengal monitor pushes its way through dry grass, tongue flicking as it tracks the scent of a buried clutch of eggs.
Overview
The Bengal monitor, Varanus bengalensis, is a Least Concern lizard of forests, grassland, and farmland across South Asia and into Iran and parts of Southeast Asia. Its size, flicking tongue, and tolerance of people make it one of the most familiar monitor lizards, though hunting has cut its numbers.
A monitor that lives beside people
The Bengal monitor adapts well to farmland and village edges, where it hunts rodents and insects, but it is also hunted and persecuted in many areas.
Status
Least Concern, though decreasing where it is hunted.
Bengal Monitor: common questions
How big is the Bengal monitor?
It grows to around a metre and a half long, with males larger than females.
What does the Bengal monitor eat?
It eats insects, rodents, eggs, small reptiles and birds, and carrion.
Why is it protected?
It has been hunted heavily for its skin and for use in traditional medicine, so it is listed under international trade rules.
Where is the Bengal monitor found?
It lives in forests, grassland, and farmland across South Asia and into Iran and parts of Southeast Asia.