Reptiles
Black Tree Monitor
Varanus beccarii · also called Beccari's monitor
A black tree monitor grips a high branch with its prehensile tail, deep black colouration a world away from the greenish tones it displayed as a juvenile. It rarely comes down to the forest floor at all, spending nearly its entire life within the canopy of its limited native range in Indonesia’s Aru Islands.
Overview
The black tree monitor, Varanus beccarii, is a fully arboreal lizard native to the Aru Islands of Indonesia. Its prehensile tail supports a life spent almost entirely in the trees, and its colour deepens to near-black as it matures.
A canopy specialist under growing pressure
Between habitat loss within its already narrow Aru Islands range and demand from the exotic pet trade drawn to its striking black colouration and comparatively calm temperament, the black tree monitor faces mounting pressure on two fronts at once.
Status
Near Threatened — under pressure from habitat loss and pet trade collection within its limited Aru Islands range.
Black Tree Monitor: common questions
Why does a black tree monitor change colour as it grows?
A young black tree monitor typically starts out displaying some greenish or bronze tones before gradually developing the deep, almost uniformly black colouration characteristic of mature adults, an age-related colour change that means younger individuals can look noticeably different from the fully mature adults most people associate with the species.
How is the black tree monitor related to the blue tree monitor?
The black tree monitor belongs to the same general group of arboreal Indo-Pacific tree monitors as the blue tree monitor, sharing a broadly similar body plan, prehensile tail, and fully arboreal lifestyle, despite the two species displaying strikingly different adult colouration, one deep black and the other vivid blue.
Where does the black tree monitor live?
The black tree monitor is native to a relatively limited range within the Aru Islands of Indonesia, restricted to rainforest habitat within that specific area, giving the species a fairly narrow natural distribution concentrated in one particular island group.
Is the black tree monitor a popular pet?
Yes, the black tree monitor is popular in the exotic pet trade, valued partly for its comparatively calm temperament relative to some other monitor lizard species, though this popularity has also added collection pressure on top of habitat loss within its already limited natural range in the Aru Islands.