Start baby Argus monitors off in an enclosure that is at least 36 inches long, 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide. By monitor standards, it is a very hardy captive goanna. The Argus monitor is relatively easy to keep as a pet provided some basic care requirements are met. The same upright combat is well-known and described in several other monitor lizard species, including the Komodo (V. Therefore, larger males are selected for over time as they are passing on their genetic material more often. Winners stay to mate with the nearby female, and the loser is driven away. Males will congregate in areas of receptive females and engage in standing pushing matches of strength. It's theorized that the males develop so much larger as an adaptation of ritualized combat during the breeding season. Color and patterning is identical in the two sexes. Males have greatly enlarged "Popeye" front legs compared to the females. Females generally max out at about 31/2 feet. horni that I have observed always have banding to the tip of the tail.Īn average fully grown adult male Argus is a sturdily built animal nearly 5 feet in total length. rubidus localities will have a pure yellow tail tip on the distal third while others do not, but all specimens of V. The tail is always ringed with dark brown transverse bands that extend to its tip. Reddish-brown and/or gray markings may appear dorsally. They exhibit an off-white, yellow or yellow-green background coloration with a dark brown to black dorsum and yellow ocelli forming transverse bands. Hatchling Argus monitors generally measure 10 to 12 inches in total length and are more brilliantly colored and patterned than the adults. Captive Argus monitors will often display this interesting behavior, and it's fascinating to witness. Another impressive trait is its ability to stand erect – to "tripod" up on its hind legs and tail – allowing it to survey the landscape from a higher vantage point. Capable of running at high speeds, an Argus will often lift its front legs off the ground while fleeing danger, using the tail as a balance much like a gigantic basilisk or frilled lizard. It is a decent swimmer and will often hunt in shallow floodplains, ponds and waterways.Īn Argus monitor's front limbs are very powerful and large for efficient digging. It will sometimes climb and may use tree hollows to some degree, but adult Argus monitors are clumsy climbers compared to other monitor species more adapted to arboreal lifestyles. It is a mostly terrestrial lizard that digs burrows. It is often found in savannah grasslands, riparian habitats, woodlands, coastal regions and floodplains. The Argus monitor is endemic to the Papuan island, both Indonesia and New Guinea, along the southern coastal and lowland interior ranges. The Argus monitor is a relatively manageable species that does not get as huge as other monitors, normally remaining less than 5 feet in length. For this reason, the Argus monitor has become quite a popular pet monitor lizard in recent years. It has an intense personality, is not particularly shy, and is just large enough to be considered a behemoth pet lizard for show, but not so large that it cannot be housed and cared for by an intermediate to advanced keeper with the proper resources and dedication. Luckily, the Argus monitor ( Varanus panoptes horni) is a relatively manageable species that does not get as huge as other monitors, normally remaining less than 5 feet in length. Many will hold their ground and show their "spirit" when you attempt to hold them. Monitors, in particular, present themselves as intelligent animals that seem to be thinking and solving things as they stare back at you.
The neonates of many large monitor lizards are adorable little clones of their adult counterparts, often exhibiting the same rugged character and charisma. Unfortunately, many people who want to keep the giants of the lizard and snake worlds fail to understand the care requirements and sheer size of the adult animals.
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