Salvadori’s monitor lizards command respect, among other things, with their massive heads and strong jaws, equipped with long teeth. Their slender bodies are decorated with a distinctive black-and-yellow pattern. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The Prague Zoo has recently welcomed Salvadorian monitor lizards. A young couple named Salva and Dorian have taken up residence in the Large Turtle Pavilion, which until recently was inhabited by adolescent Komodo dragons. After 17 years, the giant terrarium has returned to its original purpose and has been transformed into a densely green New Guinean rainforest. This reptile species, which is considered the longest lizard on the planet, is active during the day, so visitors have the opportunity to observe the new monitor lizards throughout the entire opening hours of the Prague Zoo.
Salvadori’s monitor lizards spend most of their lives in the treetops, where they move with surprising agility. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
“Salvadori’s monitor lizards are often cited as the longest lizards in the world. They could even surpass Komodo dragons in length, but the proportions of these slender tree lizards with a very long tail significantly reduce the impression of their massiveness. The traditional 470 cm has not yet been reliably documented, and until that happens, we will be content with stating their length with a more modest, although equally impressive 250 centimeters,” says Petr Velenský, curator of reptiles at Prague Zoo.
Salvadori’s monitor lizards lurk among the branches for prey and seize it with a quick lunge. They mainly hunt smaller mammals and birds, but they also do not disdain carrion or bird eggs. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The one-year-old cubs of the future tree giants arrived from Fuengirola, Spain, but their total journey was much longer. The resumption of breeding at Prague Zoo is part of the plan of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Reptile Advisory Group (EAZA RTAG) to build a viable European population of this species. Not only Prague Zoo and Bioparc Fuengirola, but also zoos in Marwell, England, and Düsseldorf, Germany, joined forces to organize the transport of nine cubs from the USA, from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. A European quarantine was held in Spain, and the monitor lizards traveled to their final destinations during March.
“In American farms, Salvadori monitor lizards are more common than in European ones. The arrival of young individuals from the United States is a welcome and important revival of the genetics of local individuals in human care,” explains Velenský.
The very long tail is probably the most distinctive attribute of Salvadori’s monitor lizards. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Although the Salvadori monitor lizard is not considered an endangered species, its population faces threats associated with the destruction of rainforests and the expansion of plantations in New Guinea. Another risk factor is hunting for meat and the illegal trade in animals. This species is still rather rare in zoos, and therefore, in addition to protection, human-assisted breeding also contributes to a better understanding of its biology and ecology.