The Timor Monitor is a small species of Monitor lizard that is native to the island of Timor. They are sometimes referred to as the Spotted Tree Monitor.
They grow to a maximum length of around 2 feet. While this is large in comparison to other lizards such as geckos, they are actually considered to be a dwarf species of Monitor.
Timor Monitor Taxonomy
The Timor Monitor belongs to the Varanidae family of lizards. This family contains only one genus of living lizards. There are two extinct genera associated with this family, Ovoo and Saniwa.
The remaining genus, and the genus that the Timor Monitor belongs to is called Varanus. This is essentially the genus of Monitor Lizards, which are native to Africa, Asia and Oceania.
There are many species in the Varanus genus including the Kimberley Rock Monitor, the Black Roughneck Monitor and the Argus Monitor.
The closest living relatives to the lizards in the Varanus genus are the species in the anguid and helodermatid genera.
The lizards in the anguid genus are native to the Northern Hemisphere and include the glass lizards and the alligator lizards.
There are only 5 species of lizards in the helodermatid genus and they are all venomous. This family includes the Gila Monster.
Monitors are a large genus of lizard that contains over 80 different species at the time of writing. However, many species and sub-species are constantly being disputed so the exact number will change from time to time.
The group of Monitor lizards include some of the largest species of lizards in the world such as the Komodo Dragon and Nile Monitor.
The genus name, Varanus is derived from the Arabic word ‘waral’ which simply translates into Monitor.
The scientific name for the Timor Monitor is Varanus timorensis. This species was first described in 1831.
Timor Monitor Description
The Timor Monitor is a small species of Monitor lizard that grows to a maximum length of around 2 feet. While this is large in comparison to other lizards such as geckos, it is actually quite small for a Monitor.
The background color of the lizard can vary from almost black to grey or to a very dark greenish color.
They have bright yellow spots running along their back and sides. The spots on the sides of the lizards usually appear duller than the ones on its back.
Theses spots are small and heavily concentrated, giving the Timor Monitor a speckled appearance.
They have a very long prehensile tail that can account for up to two-thirds of the lizard’s length.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
As its name suggests, the Timor Monitor is native to the island of Timor. This island is located North of Australia in the Southern end of “Maritime South-East Asia”. It is also home to the Timor Python.
The island of Timor is divided between two sovereign states. Timor-Leste (East Timor) is an independent country that occupies the Eastern half of the island while West Timor is a territory of Indonesia.
This lizard can be found throughout most of the island and can be found in both East and West Timor. It can also be found on some of the surrounding islands including Savu and Rote.
They like to live in the tropical forests of the region. However, they are adaptable lizards and are known to also live in rocky areas where they will utilise crevices for security.
Timor Monitor Behaviour
The Timor Monitor is a diurnal species of lizard. This means that they are active during the day and will sleep at night.
They are arboreal, spending the majority of their time off the ground among the trees and branches. They are perfectly adapted to climbing with their prehensile tail and sharp claws.
The majority of their diet is made up of invertebrates but they will also eat the occasional small lizard or rodent.
