[WATCH] Nile monitor safely relocated
They are harmless and they do not have venom nor deadly saliva.
WARREN Dick was recently called to relocate a young nile monitor from a garden in the Chatsworth area. These large lizards are often feared by people, because of their size, however, they are harmless and they do not have venom nor deadly saliva.
It is a fable that they can break your bones with a single slap of the tail. While they often use their tail as a whip in self-defense, that slap does not break skin, let alone bones.
After Dick has had to capture and relocate a few of these beautiful lizards, he has discovered that the teeth and the claws are the worst.
“When gripped behind the head they can quickly contort their bodies to get their claws into your arm, leaving deep scratches. I wear long welding gloves for protection when relocating these lizards,” Dick said.
According to Dick, the nile monitor is not a picky eater and will pretty much eat anything that’s not a vegetable. They are capable hunters of small prey such as rodents, snakes and even crabs, but will also not refuse carrion.
“In South Africa the nile monitor is a protected species. It is illegal to own or keep one without a license and it is not recommended to keep it as a pet as they do not tame well in captivity. These lizards are also persecuted by traditional healers who think it has special medicinal properties, however, even this trade is illegal and those found to be in possession of nile monitor body parts can be prosecuted.”
Contact Warren to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or spiders identified, send him a WhatsApp or call him on 072-211-0353. Follow the conversation on Facebook, Warren’s Small World.
Watch the video of the nile monitor released here:
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