Jewel of the Rainforest.
The Emerald Tree Monitor in captivity.
Dave Evans and Joe Ball are the envy of monitor keepers around the
country, having obtained one of the world’s most spectacular reptiles.
reptiles
riginally described as Monitor viridis in 1831, the
Emerald Tree Monitor was subsequently renamed
Varanus prasinus a few years later when the holotype
could not be found. Not surprisingly, both of the Latin
species names (along with the common name) refer to the
extraordinarily beautiful bright green colouration of this
animal.
With a total length of little more than 75cm, the Emerald
Tree Monitor has a slender body, long limbs and an
elongated, prehensile tail, all of which equip it ideally for
navigating the dense rainforest canopy and foraging
amongst small branches. The stunning green or turquoise
background is overlaid with fine black reticulations and
banding that forms the perfect camouflage. Widespread
in New Guinea, V. prasinus also occurs on several
islands in Torres Strait, and is part of a complex contain-
ing a number of similar species including the Canopy
Goanna (V. keithhornei) from Cape York Peninsula and
the Mangrove Monitor (V. indicus), which is also found
in the extreme north of Australia. Natural diet is varied,
and includes arthropods, frogs, small reptiles, birds,
mammals and eggs; in captivity they have also been
known to take fruit. Eggs are typically laid in arboreal
termite nests, with these insects later providing a ready
food source for hatchlings.
Despite being highly sought after by hobbyists (it is also
a favourite display animal for zoological institutions),
V. prasinus is not a simple species to maintain in
captivity. It is sensitive and easily stressed and particular
attention must be paid to humidity and hydration.
Although this species has a natural tendency to form
small social groups, most captive breeding success has
been achieved when kept as pairs. A lack of sufficient
captive breeding to date has meant a large number of
wild-caught specimens have been harvested to satisfy
international demand. Ironically, given the stressful
nature of capture and transportation, and their somewhat
fragile and nervous disposition, these animals often fare
poorly in captivity.
Above: a slender body, long limbs
and a prehensile tail are perfect
adaptations for life in the
rainforest canopy.
Opposite: the stunning green or
turquoise background is overlaid
with fine reticulations and banding.
Image by Dr Joshua Llinas.