Monitor Class

The object of this post’s title is to impress my husband with the fact that I do actually know the name a warship or two!

But now to the real story: Water Monitor Lizards are the biggest lizards we get here in Kenya, larger and more brightly coloured than their dry-country-dwelling cousins. We seem to get a lot of these old reptiles around here – they’ve even learned to come and steal the bird food by our birdbath and seem to enjoy the cool of our lawn during the heat of the day.

As their name suggests, water monitors are as comfortable in the water as they are on land. I’m amazed they don’t seem more nervous of crocodiles, which would surely crunch them up at the slightest opportunity, but perhaps I am not giving the monitors enough credit for their own alertness and savoir-faire.

This large monitor is obviously on the hunt for frogs, lizards, crustaceans and anything else he can find along the river’s shoreline. A plover’s egg or two wouldn’t go amiss either.

With concentrated patience, he investigates every nook and cranny.

Then, still empty handed, he heads across the dry sand to a small residual pool in the sandbank.

Lithely, he slips into the pool, leaving behind his trademark track in the sand.

As he starts his frog-search again, he attracts the attention of a curious emerald-spotted wood dove.

And very soon a crowd appears. (Some things are the same all over the world!)

Mutual curiosity ties lizard and bird together.

Eventually, the lizard makes a half-hearted move towards the dove but he seems to know that he’d be extremely lucky to catch it. Needless to say, the instant the monitor makes his move, the dove flies off in a flash.

The monitor leaves the water to try his luck in the dry scrub inland. With his dappled skin, he’s incredibly well camouflaged.

Despite his many indisputable positive traits, you’ve got to admit there’s something of the Grim Reaper about him, endlessly relentless in his slow, deliberate pursuit of his next victim (or in this case, on his way up the hill to scrounge the bird food!).

>>> More Tsavo Snapshots on the Kulafumbi Facebook page - click here. <<<

Comments

[Jan's Travel and Tours]

Nice photos...a well-written article, thanks for sharing and just keep on posting!

[Ian]

Yes the Monitor Class was a warship and used to great effect in East Africa during the first world war. Well done the Wife!