Crocodile Monitor
Varanus salvadorri
With a tail that is more than two times the length of its body, the
crocodile monitor is the longest lizard in the world. The long tail of
the arboreal monitor, also called the tree crocodile, aids in balance
while traveling in the forest canopy. The monitor may use the tail also
as a weapon much as one would use a whip.
Fact file:
Length: 10.5 to 13.9 ft
Habitat: Coastal mangroves and dry forest
Prey: Small mammals, reptiles, birds, arthropods and eggs
Current Range: Southern coast of New Guinea