Varanus niloticus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor family (Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in drier regions, and along the Nile River and its tributaries in East Africa. Additionally, there are modern, invasive populations in North America. The population found in West African forests and savannahs is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the West African Nile monitor (V. niloticus stellatus) and Ornate monitor (V. niloticus ornatus). While it is dwarfed by its larger relatives, such as the Komodo dragon, the Asian water monitor or the crocodile monitor, it is still one of the largest lizards in the world, reaching (and even surpassing) Australia's perentie in size. Other common names include the African small-grain lizard, as well as iguana and various forms derived from it, such as guana, water leguaan or river leguaan (leguan, leguaan, and likkewaan mean monitor lizard in South African English, and can be used interchangeably).
A feral population of Nile monitors (descended from escaped or intentionally-released pets) has become established in several locations in South Florida. In addition to any illegally-released animals, it is speculated that during particularly intense hurricane seasons in Florida, many reptiles potentially escape when their enclosures are damaged or inadvertently unlocked; as Florida has a semi-tropical to tropical climate, many reptiles are housed outdoors, and poorly-secured enclosures may become damaged during bad storms. Along with Nile monitors, Florida is infamous for its feral populations of agamas, Argentine black and white tegus, Burmese pythons, green iguanas, Madagascar giant day geckos, and panther and veiled chameleons, among others. Many of these species are thought to be descendants of hurricane escapees. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 2 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 3 | Ouagadougou | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | |
| 4 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Luxor | 🇪🇬 Egypt | |
| 6 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 7 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Serrekunda, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Monitor sighting in Serrekunda on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Monitor in Serrekunda on a given day, against about 20% in March and June, the lowest months. That is one of Serrekunda's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against almost none in January. July and August have too few records to rate.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nile 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.
2nd of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Nile Monitor sightings, Serrekunda ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Lagos (Nigeria, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nile Monitor is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Serrekunda (25 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.
