Nile Monitors Ornate vs. Common

[Pekker]

I recently purchased a Baby(Ornate????)Nile moniter. It has a bluish black tounge with 5 rows of dots between the hip and shoulder so is it an ornate or common??? which is the more determining factor tounge color or rows of dots!!! Or cross???

[Tim and Julie B]

Hey Pek I just started a thread to ask about your monitor! :D Exact same questions! :D

[mbayless]

Tongue color is the more definative thing: Pink for V. ornatus and blue-purple for common niles; problem is there some adults with a blue-purple tongue-base and pink tips (= tines)....what is this multy colored tongue beasty?? I don't know either???

Forget the bandings - its irrelevant. Max size of V. ornatus = 6.5 feet; a common nile = ~9 feet.

Cheers,
markb

[Tim and Julie B]

9 feet holy crap. I thought it was seven at the absolute max! Wow I have to see a nine footer someday!

[Mardy]

Tim they have a huge 8-9 foot one at Littles Ray's
reptile Zoo out here. It's a monster and I have a 6-7 foot one myself, she looks small compared to that one. That monster was raised on Monkey chow
before going to the zoo.

MArdy

[mbayless]

The largest female common nile was 7 feet, 11 inches and this was a female!! Now a male is abit larger! There are reports in the 1850's-1900 era of African exploration of nile monitors reaching 9 feet no problem, and white-throats reaching 8 feet no problem. Some people doubt these records because they are 100-150 years or older ago - I have no reason to doubt them. Loss of habitat, natural resources and competition with human population explosion these animals compete for food with africans many of whom eat the same snails (Achatina fulica), bugs, rodents etc....so sizes you see now are smaller than just 100 years ago or more...
cheers,
markb

[Tim and Julie B]

Very cool info thanks guys. Mark that totally makes since. Competion for food would explain the size differences well. Very interesting. TB