The Nile monitor is a nasty predator with a big appetite. It spends its day searching for food of all kinds-including dead animals-and leaves nothing on the table. Any animal that gets in between this lizard and a meal had better beware. The lizard has extremely sharp teeth and claws, and will tackle animals much larger than itself, even Nile crocodiles.
Backbreaker: Because of its build, the Nile monitor is an agile lizard. This beast will sometimes pounce on its victim’s back and snap its spine in two.
Triple Threat: The Nile monitor attacks on land, or in water, and will even climb a tree to snag a meal. Its tail propels it through water, its stout legs make it a fast runner and its claws are perfect for scaling a tree.
Bad to the Bone[]
Rotting crocs taste good to this lizard.
The Nile monitor is simply a vicious creature that will pick a fight with anything that gets in its way-including humans-and has a wide assortment of weapons at its disposal. Even eagles trying to attack the lizard from the air can find the tables turned when the lizard clamps down with its powerful jaws. This beast has also been known to use its tail like a whip to slap at aggressive lions.
Just as Good Dead: This greedy predator will eat anything it can kill, and some things that are already dead. Even the rotting carcass of a crocodile makes a happy meal for the Nile monitor.
Lizard Skin: The Nile monitor’s body is green with yellow spots and stripes. This color pattern helps the reptile stay hidden in grasses near the edges of swamps and rivers.
Egg Scramble[]
- In Africa, crocodile eggs are a favorite food of smaller predators. When big momma is near her nest, however, even the fastest burglar, such as a mongoose, can’t get away with a quick meal.
- Patience is a virtue, even in the wild. After the croc retreats into the river, a Nile monitor can snatch an egg and scurry to safety before the mother can reach the shore and chase off the intruder.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The subheading "Bad to the Bone" is a reference to the 1982 rock song of the same name by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
- The nile monitor shares the subheading "Triple Threat" with Triceratops and Aquatic Leech.