The emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus ) or green tree monitor, is a small to medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. It is known for its unusual coloration, which consists of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark, transverse dorsal banding. This coloration helps camouflage it in its arboreal habitat. Its color also makes the emerald tree monitor highly prized in both the pet trade and zoos alike.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Emerald tree monitor is an arboreal lizard known for its unusual coloration, which consists of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark, transverse dorsal banding. This coloration helps camouflage it in its arboreal habitat. Its color also makes the Emerald tree monitor highly prized in both the pet trade and zoos alike.
Emerald tree monitors can be found on the island of New Guinea (split between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) as well as several adjacent islands, and the northern Torres Strait Islands. They live in lowland environments, including tropical evergreen forests, palm swamps, and cocoa plantations.
Emerald tree monitors live in small groups made up of a dominant male, several females, and a few other males and juveniles. These monitors spend most of their lives in trees and rarely come down to the forest floor; their long slender bodies help them support themselves on narrow branches and they use their prehensile tails and long claws to grip branches. Emerald tree monitors are active during the day and catch prey in trees. When threatened, they will flee through vegetation or bite if cornered.
Emerald tree monitors have a carnivorous diet which consists of large tree-dwelling katydids, grasshoppers, stick insects, cockroaches, beetles, centipedes, spiders, and crabs. They will also hunt birds and small mammals.
Little is known about the mating system of Emerald tree monitors. Females lay three clutches throughout the year and consist of up to five eggs; each egg weighs 10.5-11.5 g (0.37-0.41 oz) and measures about 2 by 4.5 cm (0.79 by 1.77 in). Females lay their eggs in arboreal termite nests. The eggs hatch between 160 and 190 days later, typically from June to November, after which the young eat the termites and the termite's eggs within minutes of hatching. Young Emerald tree monitors usually become reproductively mature in about one year.
Emerald tree monitors don’t face any major threats at present.
According to IUCN Red List, the Emerald tree monitor is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today remain stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...