Varanus albigularis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The rock monitor (Varanus albigularis) is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, where, on average, it is the largest lizard found on the continent. It is called leguaan or likkewaan in some areas.
First described by François Marie Daudin in 1802, V. albigularis had been classified as a subspecies of V. exanthematicus, but has since been declared a distinct species based on differences in hemipenal morphology. The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل (English: "monitor"). The specific name albigularis comes from a compound of two Latin words, albus (meaning "white") and gula ("throat").
Subspecies of V. albigularis are: Varanus albigularis is on average the most massive lizard in Africa, as adult males average about 6 to 8 kg (13 to 18 lb) and females weigh from 3.2 to 5 kg (7.1 to 11.0 lb). Large mature males can attain weights of 15 to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 9 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Pretoria, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Monitor sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Monitor in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in June to August, the lowest months. Those are among Pretoria's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rock Monitor sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Pretoria, in our data
Pretoria is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Rock Monitor sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rock Monitor is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Pretoria (16 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
