Reptile & Amphibian Forums

the other night i was watching a show on animal planet called predator bay, there was a little monitor featured on it eating crabs, the narrator kept refering to it as a rock monitor this was within 4 miles of the coast, the monitor was in the tree untill the tide went out then came down to eat a few crabs, the build didnt seem to be that of an arboreal species, it looked to be built more like a savannah or other more stout species. does anyone know what this monitor they were reffering to as a "rock" monitor really was? thanks for any help
Jay

I saw the same show. His head and body were shaped like a black throat. That'd be my guess.

good call, your probably right, the little bugger was kinda cute munchin on that crab, i wonder if baby blackthroats are semi arboreal most of the time in the wild to avoin getting munched on themselves

The most interesting thing about the little monitor to me was the fact that he was out fooling around on the beach. People, myself included, sometimes pigeonhole animals from perceived certain environments as being strictly from that biome. In this case it would be the blackthroat being a "grassland" monitor. Obviously it's horizons are a lot broader. I know things are much different in the wild than books or captivity or even TV shows, but, sometimes it takes a TV show at 3am to pound the fact into my hard head.

A couple of things. First, the films most likely a setup, that is, wild monitors do not allow themselves be filmed to often. It could be real, but there is a better change its not.

Albigs do commonly use trees, so do ackies. I have found ackies up in rocks and up in trees. I think the the highest was about 20 feet up. So thats not really way UP in trees. Savs climb small trees too. I get the feeling all monitors will climb. So do flavis, an ultimate burrower, etc.

One common reason is to see, after rains, grasses can grow quickly and tall. This blocks their ability to see. So they climb up trees to see, or to get dry, or for nest robbing or because they want to(to investigate).

And your right, most people including the academics pigeonhole hole monitors. They do so, to the harm of the captives. Thats why I place literature and academics down on the list of whom I listen to. I believe the monitors first, no matter what anyone says. You know many people don't. Then I listen to successful keepers or field guys(non-academics). Then I listen to casual folks next. Ones that have no reason or interest to pigeonhole them(prejudice them). Then I read literature or hear academics. But only keep an awareness of whats said, I do not let it override the better sources of information. Oh lastly, beware of TV, consider hows its done. To have a clear in focus shot of monitors doing natural behaviors is very difficult and rare. Of course it could have been a park monitor(like a park squirrel) Then its great, because they too are monitors, only not afraid of people and cameras. Cheers

Yeah, I wasn't sure if they were as common as squirrels, as you mentioned. I did think it was odd how easy they made it look to film a nile croc along with a bull shark in the same frame. What are the chances you'd just hop in the water and see that? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I just think it was a little too convenient.

It wasn't about common, it was about behavior. In areas of the world that have monitors. Monitors become like our squirrels in our parks. They beg food from people, they pester you, etc. They post signs, "Don't feed the Goannas" or Whatever local name. This occurs with many species from water monitors, to lacies, to goulds to perenties to bengals, etc. I guess with about any monitor species that gets big enough to not be totally afraid of humans.

In many parks, they are as common if not more common then squirrels.

If your ever in Oz. the first place you want to go is to a park on the beach. Full of lacies and topless girls. You simply cannot beat that. Or Fraiser Island, there are both lakes and beach and lacies and topless girls. By law, you must stay away from the monitors, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Sorry, I think thats funny. Cheers