Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read the post from - Mokele, Mar 17, 2004 - "Blackthroat vs Whitethroat, differences?" But what about the Cape? Is this a real monitor, or just another name for a black or whitethrought? I have 3 Argentine Tegus, and I've been thinking about a Albig for a long time now, I just can't decide on which type. I'm leaning towards a blackthrought!! If anyone has pics or info on their encloseures, I'd love to see, and learn more before I make my final decission, and purchase. Thank You!

A Cape monitor is another name for the Savanna monitor (varanus exanthematicus). It is also referred to as a Bosc monitor.

Pam

?

Completely different animals..Ones a medium sized monitor, ones a large.

A Cape monitor is a locality type of V.albigularis, That occurs in the southern parts of their range. As in the "Cape" of South Africa. These tend to be smaller, whiter, and with more distint bands then the more northern types. Cheers FR

Sorry I got that wrong. I had read that at least twice, and I can recall reading it on the Honolulu Zoo site. It always makes it interesting when the same animal has multiple names. Thanks for the correction.

Pam

Hi Pam. Its not so much that the same monitor has many names, its more like many monitors have the same common name.

Please understand, common names are for your understanding. In Kingsnakes, people use counties, a such and such county eastern kingsnake. They do this because that local of kingsnake has qualities that are different from other areas. This is done with many reptiles.

A banded cape or banded cape whitethroat means, its an V.albigularis for the cape region of south africa(the state). Banded means its pattern is banded, Some from the same region are not banded. There are both banded and non-banded cape monitors.

Whitethoat is simple, its V.a.albigularis, They occur from Tanzania in the north to S.A. in the south. That covers many different locals and color morphs of that species. Some have whitethroats some do not.

Common names are discriptive, and do not have to be accurate. In fact, even scientific names are constantly changing. What is important is local. For an individual monitors to be important to science, its local or genetic local must be accurate. All the rest is subject to change. Good luck FR

Hi Frank,
Thanks for taking the time to explain this. I am new, so I read a lot, but as they say, don't believe everything you read or everything you hear. There are so many interesting things about monitors and you just told me a few more.

Pam