Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed that wts have a particularly lighter pattern while bts were darker. But then I heard that wts stay smaller and bts grow larger. I also found wts to be a little less expensive. What are the main differences? Is one less hardy or less tame? Please let me know.
thnx
tito

Geographically, very little differences, some scale count differences, behavior differences and depending on locality, dietary menu preferences, and when looking at skull osteology, there are no differences (see june-july Reptiles 2000 issues FYI). Basically, there is variety between the complex depending on altitutde, as you see in Mexican herpetofauna and of course other Africana herpetofauna, but V. albigularis is basically a single monotypic species. The differences you see in size vrs range is food availability and brumation period, which can slow down food intake/growth rates.
cheers,
mbayless

only different because of the food intake?? Or did I mis understand you?

Just wondered cause I have never seen a real huge whitethroat but I have seen some monster blackthroats. If this is the case why does everyone keeping blackthroats feed them more then keepers with whitethroats?? Shame on them LOL

The whitethroat pictured below is the typical size I have seen the whties to be. But the blacks I have seen are bigger yet then that.

Hello Jody,

My take on it is black-throat phenotypes are found across equatorial Africa from Angola to Tanzania (W=>E), Rep. Congo => N. Malawi (N=>S). Food abundance is greater, seasons are equal, and temperature are too hot and humid year round. When you move north and/or south of Equator, food and solar radiation change, as habitat, precipitation, insect and game mammal migrations differ throughout the year, hence effecting local ecologies, and again food availability, and growth rates, those Varanus albigularis seen in those latitudes do not appear as large nowadays - that is not to say they did not in years past! In 1779, Sparrmann observed 7 V. albigularis and 9 foot V. niloticus in South Africa's Natal region; Explorer Henry Livingston observed 7 V. niloticus and 6 V. albigularis in his travels of 1860's East Africa. Human hunting, habitat loss, game meat have placed an enormous pressures on Varanus, and you simply do not encounter very large specimens anymore; largest V. niloticus reported in over a century and actually largest accurately reported in from 1992: 7'11" 3/4 inches.

However, there are (valid) reports are a larger unknown Varanus in central Africa, and I recently recieved a photogrtaph of a recenetly deceased specimen of this species, and will be describing this sooner than later - and they have been reported in the 8 foot range; this is not a polymorphic variance of current recognized African Varanus today, and regrettably, it is not a Dinosaur either!
cheers,
mbayless

Always nice to hear your take on things. I wish I could go study them in the wild myself. Someday maybe.

as always, your knowlege of monitors is awesome.

Cheers.
Todd

I tried the addrss I had for you and it no work.
Mines still the same.
Thanks..
Todd G.

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He is very lightly colored but has tan on the sides of his back. The other cross I have is the opposite in that he has the color of the BT with the pattern of the WT. This one is BT pattern and WT colors.

This is a trio of about 18-20month old crosses.

Bawaa Herps

Eating a jumbo mouse if I remember (or it might have been the chicken peep).
The BT can reach 7 ft and WT can reach 6 ft but SanDiego Zoo had a WT until recently that was 6ft 7in. The differences are the colors, patterns, and availabiluty of food or usable temps throughout the year for the altitudes and geographic locations of both.