🦎
🏷️
Classification
Reptile
🍽️
Diet
Carnivore
⏱️
Lifespan
10–20 years
⚖️
Weight
5–20 kg
Population Trend
➡️Stable
Description
Africa's largest lizard, an opportunistic predator found near water bodies across sub-Saharan Africa.
Habitat
🌿 riverbanks🌿 swamps🌿 forest edges
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Varanidae
Genus
Varanus
Fun Facts
1
Second largest lizard in Africa after the Nile crocodile.
2
Can stay underwater for over an hour.
3
Excellent climbers often found in trees near rivers.
4
Have forked tongues like snakes to detect prey.
5
Invasive in Florida, USA where they are an established exotic species.