Credits for the cover photo go to Tyrone Ping. This is a wild Nile Monitor, photographed around the Port St. John’s area of South Africa. More of Tyrone’s photos are visible here. 

White-Throated Monitor (Varanus albigularis albigularis)

The southern representative of the Rock Monitors, the White-Throated Monitor is found in South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique, and is considered a medium to large subspecies with a maximum total length of just over 6’. This Monitor, along with the Black-Throated, is known for a docile, inquisitive temperament, and makes a great candidate for someone looking to get into keeping larger lizards. This species is the specialty of a few breeders, and USCBB babies are generally available every year. As of this writing, there are no established morphs, and most will run in the $500 to $1,000 range depending on age, condition, and socialization level. 

A Cape Banded White-Throated Monitor kept by Hector Berrios. “Cape Banded” animals originate from South Africa, and are more highly coveted than the northern forms. 

Angolan Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis angolensis)

Regarded as the smallest of the three Rock Monitor subspecies, the Angolan can reach a reported total length of about 5’. These monitors are similar in appearance to the White-Throated Monitor, but usually appear to have far less contrast to their patterning. True to their name, these Monitors are primarily found in dry, rocky regions of Angola and Namibia. I am unaware of this species being kept in captivity - if you have any information that contradicts this, please reach out to me.

A wild Angolan Rock Monitor, photographed by Frank Walther in central Namibia. 

Black-Throated Monitor (Varanus albigularis microstictus)

Also erroneously referred to as V. a. ionidesi, the Black-Throated Monitor is the largest of the Rock Monitors, with large males exceeding 7’ and 50 pounds. This subspecies is known from several East African countries, most notably Tanzania, and is relatively well-established in US herpetoculture. Like the White-Throated Monitor, this species is known for a great temperament, and makes an excellent species for the intermediate keeper looking to get into larger lizards (younger animals tend to have a defensive temperament, but most will outgrow this). Most will be priced in the $500 to $1,000 range depending on age, sex, and overall condition, and both imported and the occasional USCBB specimens are available. I am not aware of any established morphs in Black-Throated Monitors as of this writing.

A large pair of Black-Throated Monitors from Ron St Pierre. 

Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)

One of the most common Monitors in the United States trade, the Savannah Monitor is a medium-sized species that reaches a total length of around 3’, with the occasional male adding a few extra inches to that figure. Wild-caught babies of this species are frequently imported and sold en masse for well under $100, leading to an infamously low success rate with these lizards. The single most important factor to long-term Savannah Monitor management is feeding a predominately insect-based diet, if not one consisting of nothing but appropriate insects. Wild studies on the stomach contents of these animals show that they rarely consume anything other than various invertebrates, and a rodent-based diet that’s often given to other species will lead to obesity and an untimely death. This species has had a very limited number of USCBB clutches, but they are a passion project for a few keepers and some babies have been produced. There have also been morphs of this species, but I haven’t seen any of them reproduced as of this writing.

A wild-type male and supposed T+ Albino female Savannah Monitor, kept by Gregg Madden of Squamata Concepts. This photo is over a decade old, although a few others with a similar appearance have shown up from time to time. 

Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus)

One of the largest and most common Monitors in both the hobby and the world, the Nile Monitor is a classic, staple species. Adult males in the 7’ to 8’ range are not unheard of, and this species is notorious for its nasty temperament. While this species absolutely can calm down in captivity, the fact remains that the vast majority of these Monitors are still imported specimens that are terrified of humans, and the speed at which they reach a size capable of causing serious injury means that most will likely never be quite as calm as, say, an Asian Water Monitor. There are a few keepers working on breeding this species, but they are similar to Savannas in that wild-caught babies are often well under $100, so this project is purely motivated by passion. While a few specimens with some abnormalities have been imported, there are no established Nile Monitor morphs in the trade today.

Chicken Strip, one of the few documented Albino Nile Monitors, kept by Brian Barczyk of The Reptarium.

Ornate Monitor (Varanus ornatus)*

Once considered to be a distinct species, the Ornate Monitor refers to Nile Monitors found within the deep jungles of Central and Western Africa. They have traditionally been prized for their pattern which features fewer, larger bands of spots, and can be more easily differentiated by having a pink tongue (as opposed to some shade of blue). However, a 2015 study on a large set of DNA samples was able to find no genetic differences between Ornate and Nile Monitors, meaning that this is just a pattern variant that’s commonly seen in closed-canopy forest habitats. While not as common as Niles, Ornate Monitors do show up in the trade with some regularity, and imported specimens will usually cost slightly more than a Nile of the same size. 

An unusually red juvenile Ornate Monitor that was imported by Jim Tracy of Wild Things, LLC. 

West African Monitor (Varanus stellatus)*

Disputed by some, the West African Monitor is becoming more widely accepted as its own species, and the 2015 study referenced earlier would suggest this is a distinct species as well. Some consider them to be a subspecies of the Nile, and some consider them synonymous, but regardless there is little difference between the two morphologically, and they are split based off of geographic and genetic differences, as opposed to those easily seen in a side-by-side comparison. This species is reportedly the one considered invasive in Florida, instead of the more commonly-referenced niloticus, and the "Ornate" form is also known to occur in Western populations. There are likely a good deal of West African Monitors kept by private individuals, although it’s unlikely you’ll ever hear them referenced as anything past a simple “Nile Monitor”. That may change as the two-species convention becomes more widespread, but for now they are essentially the same as V. niloticus in US herpetoculture. 

A large wild West African Monitor photographed by Ricardo Rodero Hernandez on a Gambian riverbank.