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Terrarium keepers can depend on this manual to tell them everything they need to know about the care and maintenance of Nile Monitor lizards. Books in the Complete Pet Owner's Manuals series present basic information about pets for new or soon-to-be owners. Advice and instruction covers feeding, housing, health care, training, grooming, protection against hazards, and more. Texts emphasize pet care basics and are easy for all readers to understand, but most titles also present facts that even experienced pet owners and breeders will find new and useful. All books in this series are filled with high quality full-color photos and instructive line art. Length averages between 64 and 104 pages. ... Read more

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Nile Monitors is an excellent guide!
This book by Robert J. Faust is an excellent guide to the proper care of Nile Monitor Lizards.It has great photos, and detailed explanations of anything you'd ever need to know about nile monitors and how to care for them.This book helped me a lot in my experiences with Nile Monitors. ... Read more

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Examines the physical characteristics, behavior, lifestyle, and natural environment of the giant monitor lizard. ... Read more

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Covers the lifestyle, habitat, and life cycle of goannas, otherwise known as varanids or monitors. These lizards range in size from a few centimeters to the giant 3-meter Komodo dragon, and 25 of the 40 known kinds are in Australia. Includes color photos and drawings. Distributed in the US by ISBS. ... Read more

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Just 50,000 years ago the world was filled with fabulous creatures that are now forever gone. Australia’s giant lizard, Megalania, was one of those. These frightful beasts could reach 19 feet in length and weigh as much as a polar bear. On their home turf they were top dog, and it was the rare animal that dared to challenge them. Dragons in the Dust tells the story of these amazing lizards and the world in which they lived. The book explores the Pleistocene, the time of the ice ages. While mammals ruled elsewhere, in Australia reptiles held their dominance. Large monitor lizards survive to this day, but the discovery of fossil remains of Megalania revealed that their ancestors were true giants and formidable predators. How scientists have reconstructed the way these animals lived and what factors encouraged their evolution make up part of the story. What caused their extinction remains a mystery, and one that makes an intriguing conclusion to this portrait of a true dragon of the past. ... Read more

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A great review of all that is known of this giant lizard.
Yet another fine installment of Indiana University Press's famed "Life of the Past" series. This time, the subject in question is the infamous giant monitor _Megalania prisca_. Throughout this 7 chapter book, author, and esteemed vertebrate paleontologist, Ralph Molnar, does his best to describe all that we know about this amazing animal.

Molnar takes the story of _Megalania_ and does what any good scientist does. He reduces it into many different parts. The introduction gives a brief rundown of what to expect from the book, along with a quick blurb on some scientific naming conventions. This part is helpful to the lay reader, but if one is already familiar with this information, then one should take Dr. Molnar's advice and: "skip ahead to the next chapter."

Chapters one and two describe the global climate of the Pleistocene, and the climate of Pleistocene Australia. Both chapters come off a little dry. Though the information garnered from the chapters, is welcomed (though not really new to any geo student), they come off sounding a little too much like a textbook. It should be noted that chapter two also focuses on the paleoflora and fauna in Australia. This information is particularly interesting, as Molnar gives mention of many animal groups that receive little, to no, time in the spotlight (in particular, the club tailed meiolaniid turtles, and the diverse mekosuchines).

_Megalania_, itself, really doesn't make an appearance until chapter 3. This is where things really start to pick up. Molnar begins by delving into the history of the animal, starting with the initial discovery, and the confusion brought about by the erroneous association of certain bones, with certain animals. This chapter features many pictures of the actual _Megalania_ bones. One will be surprised to note how much of the actual material is tiny, often heavily eroded stuff. There is not even 1/3rd of a complete skeleton known for this animal. It's impressive that we know as much as we do about it, given such poor material.

This brings up a hidden theme seen throughout the book. While Australia's megafauna was unique and interesting. None of the taxa found there, are represented by very good material. Molnar gives specific mention to the poor quality of fossils seen in Australia, and the reasons why this is so.

Chapter 4 deals with _Megalania_ in the context of other varanids. It includes a rundown of varanid phylogeny, and their evolutionary history. It then compares _Megalania_ to modern varanids, to see where the animal fits. Finally, it ends with a question of the validity of _Megalania_ as a genus. That this is still a fairly controversial question today, it comes as no surprise that no real answer is arrived at in the book either.

Chapter 5 is one of the most interesting, and informative chapters in the entire book. It deals with _Megalania_ the animal. Molnar does his best to dispel the misconceptions on the actual size of _Megalania_. He mentions that, since no complete skeleton has ever been found, no one is sure of the exact proportions of the animal. This is important, as the maximum length of _Megalania_ varies by as much as 1.5 meters (~ 5ft) depending on which monitor the animal is based off of. Weight estimates for the animal, were also given. Molnar does a fine job of showing all the problems associated with trying to come up with the weight of an extinct animal. Especially one known from such poor remains. From there Molnar talks on hunting, feeding, reproduction and so forth. He even goes into the physiology of living monitors, and explains how it would allow for _Megalania_ to be either an ambush hunter, or a short range pursuit hunter.

Chapter 6 delves into the environmental scenarios that gave rise to _Megalania_. Molnar talks about the unique environments of Australia, and how it might have been the main factor behind the evolution of this large varanid. He also dispels misconceptions about the size of the mammalian predators living there, at the time. Molnar then goes on to talk of the evolution of large lizards in general. Throughout this piece, one is quick to notice that large lizards all appeared in isolated areas. This gives off the false impression that lizards can only grow to large size, in the absence of any competitors. Molnar notices this as well, but points out, towards the end of the chapter, that _Varanus silvalensis_ and even fossil Komodo dragons, are prime examples that suggest otherwise.

Chapter 7 ends the book with a summary of all that was learned throughout the previous chapters. Molnar points out that while "our understanding of this creature is at a rudimentary level...research on Megalania still continues." At this point, Molnar floods the reader with lots of tidbits of new information on _Megalania_. Sadly, this is right about the time when the book ends. As such, readers are left wanting more. One can only hope that the new information found on this amazing lizard, will warrant another book devoted to its Natural History. If not that, then perhaps, at least, a new edition. ... Read more

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Detailed look at the genus and species of the various Australian monitors and dragons, with photos, habitat characteristics, detailed physical descriptions and more. ... Read more

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The “Gale Encyclopedia of Science” is written at a level somewhere between the introductory sources and the highly technical texts currently available. This six-volume set covers all major areas of science and engineering, as well as mathematics and the medical and health sciences, while providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge and technology. Alphabetically arranged entries provide a user-friendly format that makes the broad scope of information easy to access and decipher. Entries typically describe scientific concepts, provide overviews of scientific areas and, in some cases, define terms.

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Lizards, Volumes 1 and 2, provides comprehensive coverage of all known families of lizards. Rogner outlines the geographic distribution along with the natural habitats and lifestyles for each species. The author also draws heavily from the firsthand experiences of herpetological enthusiasts in detailing husbandry practices for feeding; administering vitamin and mineral supplements; breeding; and setting up, heating, lighting, and maintaining vivaria. Detailed descriptions and copious color photos illustrate physical characteristics of the lizards.Volume 2 examines Knob-Scaled, Beaded, Monitor, Alligator, and Plated Lizards; Cordylids; Lacertids; Skinks; Smooth and Night Lizards; Teiids; Worm Lizards; Tuataras; and Crocodilians. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Monitorlizards also known as bayawak or goannas,genus Varanus, are members of the family Varanidae.They have a more distinctive upper set of teeth tointimidate their predators when in danger. Varanusis a group of largely carnivorous lizards whichincludes the largest living lizard, the Komododragon, and the crocodile monitor. The closestliving relatives are the anguid and helodermatidlizards. ... Read more

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Chapters: Pet Lizards, Pet Snakes, Pet Turtles, Gecko, Red-Eared Slider, Garter Snake, Corn Snake, Painted Turtle, Monitor Lizard, Bearded Dragon in Captivity, Rhinoceros Iguana, Python Regius, Leopard Gecko, Eastern Box Turtle, Common House Gecko, Green Iguana in Captivity, Central Bearded Dragon, Yellow-Bellied Slider, Antaresia Stimsoni, Kingsnake, Sternotherus Odoratus, Jamaican Slider, Mole Snake, Blotched Blue-Tongued Lizard, Common Collared Lizard, Northern Blue-Tongued Skink, Spotted Turtle, Jackson's Chameleon, Physignathus, Stenodactylus Petrii, Nerodia Floridana, Substrate, Gran Canaria Skink, Kinixys, Heat Mat. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 161. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semi-aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of pond slider. It is a native of the southern United States, but has become common in various areas of the world due to the pet trade. They are popular pets in the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Red-eared sliders are popular pets around the world.Red-eared sliders get their name from the distinctive red mark around their ear. The "slider" part of their name comes from their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into the water quickly. This species was previously known as Troost's turtle in honor of an American herpetologist; Trachemys scripta troostii is now the scientific name for another subspecies, the Cumberland turtle. Red-eared slider basking on a floating platform under a sunlampRed-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs. These reptiles are deceptively fast and are also excellent swimmers. They hunt for prey and will attempt to capture it when the opportunit...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=71100 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Gecko, Monitor Lizard, Bearded Dragon in Captivity, Rhinoceros Iguana, Leopard Gecko, Common House Gecko, Green Iguana in Captivity, Central Bearded Dragon, Blotched Blue-Tongued Lizard, Common Collared Lizard, Northern Blue-Tongued Skink, Jackson's Chameleon, Physignathus, Stenodactylus Petrii, Gran Canaria Skink, Heat Mat. Excerpt:Bearded dragons , agamid lizards of the genus Pogona , are often kept as pets , most commonly Pogona vitticeps , the Inland or Central Bearded Dragon. Pogona describes seven species naturally found in arid, semi-arid woodlands and rocky deserts in central Australia. They are a popular species among children, because of their friendly and calm nature, along with the relative ease of caring for them. Most bearded dragons kept as pets have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies, with adults reaching approximately 16 to 22 inches (410 to 560 mm) from head to tail and weighing 350 to 600 grams (10 to 20 oz). Sexual dimorphism Males have a distinct set of pre-anal pores between the back legs and have hemipenal bulges at the vent area. Females usually have no buldge past the vent or only one. Contrary to some beliefs, they do have pores, however they are less noticeable than a male's. The pores are easy to see by looking at the dragon's underside. Males and females are of comparable size, although males usually sport a larger head and a thicker tail base than the females. However, this is not always true. There are cases where a female has a bigger head and tail then her male counterpart. Mature males will turn their throat pouches (Beards) black during courtship to signal dominance, although females have also been known to do the same. Diet Bearded Dragon eating Dandelion leaves. Bearded dragons are native to the central Australian desert, where foo... ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) is a semi-aquatic, brown lizard native to northern Borneo. It is the only species in the family Lanthanotidae, a group related to the true monitor lizards, as well as to the beaded lizards. Earless monitor lizards are around 20 centimetres in length, and have reduced eyes and limbs, a thick body, and strongly keeled scales. Despite the name, it is capable of hearing, although it lacks a tympanum or other visible signs of ears. It is a burrowing, nocturnal animal, feeding on earthworms and similar prey. In captivity, it has been known to eat squid, pieces of fish and liver.Like its closest relatives, it is oviparous, although little else is known about its reproduction. ... Read more

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Gale proudly presents the completely revised and updated version of the acclaimed “Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia” set. Hailed by many as the best reference work on animals ever published, a legacy left to us by famed zoologist and animal lover Bernhard Grzimek, this set is renowned for its scientific reporting and coverage, and serves as a major point of reference for researchers, students, and those hoping to satisfy their curiosity about the animal kingdom. Information can be found on life cycles, predators, food systems, overall ecology and much more. Staying true to the original scientific pedigree, Gale enlisted prominent advisors and contributors from the international scientific community to incorporate recent developments in our knowledge of the animal world.