Black Tree Monitor belongs to the Reptilia class of animals and is a relatively massive black lizard with an exclusive prehensile tail. Its teeth are muscular and flattened, arching slightly towards the inside of the rear.
The body is covered with small non-overlapping scales that form a granular pattern. A Black Tree Monitor also has long, powerful legs, each having five sharp-clawed toes.
4 Mind-Blowing Facts About Black Tree Monitors
Sexual dimorphism is present where the males are generally larger. The male has a distinctive triangular-shaped tail, contrary to the female with a round-shaped tail at the base. The female is slender with a long, narrow head and neck.
The juveniles hatched from their eggs are dark gray with regular rows of greenish-yellowish tinge. They turn pitch-black as they develop into adults, losing the colorful dots.
Let’s dive into the top 4 exclusive facts about Black Tree Lizard.
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Black Tree Monitor Are Tree Dwellers
A Black Tree Monitor lizard fancies spending most of its time above the ground. They are very well adapted to the arboreal habitat and can climb at a really quick pace.
Unlike other monitor species like the curly-tailed lizard, Black Tree Monitor does not evince defensive tail-lashing behavior. Their long tail covers most of its overall length and is solely used prehensile to stabilize the animal in the branches.
Black Monitor lizards also sport all monitor species’ longest and thinnest forelimbs. They have elongated digits tipped with large claws and adhesive soles. This way, they comfortably maintain a grip on the trees and catch prey.
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Black Tree Monitors Are Both Carnivores and Insectivores
A Black Tree Monitors has a wide range of diets. Its primary diet is insects, but it occasionally feeds on smaller invertebrates, especially crickets.
They also enjoy foraging for rodents and nestlings found in the treetops, and eating crabs and frogs. Mainly, they obtain their protein from fish, fish eggs, chick eggs, and ducklings.
Black Tree Monitors are very intelligent animals. They express complex problem-solving abilities and skilled forelimb movement when hunting for prey.
Sometimes it’s difficult to catch the prey in tight crevices and holes with its jaws, but this will not limit it from going after the prey.
Bravely, these monitors will use their forelimbs and hook the prey with their claws. This allows the monitors to explore a broader range of niches.
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IUCN List’s Black Tree Monitors as Vulnerable
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) conservation status for Black tree monitors is vulnerable as they are prone to habitat loss.
Their decreasing population is mainly attributed to threats like the international pet trade and deforestation in its small restricted range.
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Black Tree Monitors Have Myriad Ways of Communicating
Black tree monitors communicate through the sense of smell, behavioral patterns, visual like body postures, and audio sound patterns. Male ones will compete with others during mating to prove their agility and strength to females.
Courtship also involves larger males aggressively chasing after their female counterparts. Copulation mainly occurs on the ground and can last for two hours.
They have an excellent sense of temperature and humidity levels. They bask in the sun where they mimic their natural habitats. These monitors need ideal humidity and substrate surface temperature in the wild and captive conditions in a zoo to thrive and multiply.
Conclusion
Black tree monitors are shy monitors that hide amidst trees in the presence of humans or predators. Their prehensile tail is not a weapon, but a dexterous third limb that helps them keep balance when jumping fast between trees.
Black tree monitors have unmatched speed and agility and are adapted to an arboreal existence. They have good temperaments and are peaceful animals to be around, just like the Dolphins and Doves e.t.c.