Gray Warran: description, habitat, habits, photo

The Central Asian gray lizard is an amazing creature. This is the largest lizard of the fauna of Central Asia. Representatives of the species are distributed in the territories of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey. Also gray lizards are listed in the Red Book of the IUCN and some of the listed countries. However, these are not the most interesting facts concerning these large lizards.

Color

The gray monitor is a large creature. The maximum length of his torso can reach one and a half meters. And the body, by the way, takes only a third. The rest of the length is "occupied" with the tail. The maximum weight can reach 3.5 kg. But such cases are rare. Males, as is usually the case in the animal kingdom, are larger than females. However, it is not harder.

Gray monitor, the photo of which is given above, has a very interesting color. Although by ear, based on the name, it does not seem so. In fact, it seems more sand or light brown than gray. Not without the numerous dark spots and specks, which "strewn" the upper body of these creatures. The neck is characterized by 2-3 longitudinal dark bands, which are connected at the back and form a horseshoe pattern.

It is interesting that in the "youth" the gray monitor always looks brighter than at the older age. The general background of the young specimens is yellow, and the dark bands seem not brown, but almost black.

Features of physiology

Slanting sidewise nostrils of these lizards are quite close to the eyes. Such a structure makes it easier for the monitor to investigate burrows, since the nostrils are not clogged with sand in the process. This is important, because the gray lizard hunts mainly on rodents that live in burrows. Its victims are jerboas, ground squirrels, mice, voles, gerbils. Sometimes, however, lizards hunt geckos, young snakes and turtles. In general, they have a rich diet. Sometimes these creatures even attack the steeples and the Central Asian cobras. However, about the hunt - a little later.

The gray monitor is a reptile with strong sharp teeth that are slightly curved backwards. By them, he keeps his victim. The teeth are constantly updated. Throughout life, a lizard erases several of their pairs. By the way, the teeth of the gray lizard have no cutting edges. But despite this, he is still capable of killing large animals and eating them, swallowing them whole, though not without effort.

Hunting

So, above, we listed what the gray lizard feeds on. Now you can say a few words about how exactly this creature hunts.

If the lizard chose a large snake as a sacrifice, she will follow a certain tactic. First, tired of her false attempts to attack - will make visits from different sides, like a mongoose. And then, when the snake is tired, it will jump on it and grab its teeth by the head (or a little further). Immediately the Varan will begin to shake the victim and beat her against the ground or stones. He needs the victim to stop resisting. Sometimes, for this, he can simply hold it in his teeth, clenching his jaws until the snake relaxes. From the response (bite), nothing will happen to the monitor. If the snake tries to "wrap" the hunter in a ring to strangle, it will easily dodge.

When the monitor hunts, he tries to follow the already proven route. In the course of "research" he checks rodent burrows, bird nests, gerbil colonies. However, if nothing can be found, the reptile will not scoff and scavenge.

Habitat

Above, already listed countries in the territory of which may meet a gray monitor. Features of appearance allow it to remain unnoticed - it is ideally masked in sand, and on trees, and between stones, and in the ground. By the way, the northern border of the habitat reaches the coast of the Aral drainage sea (on the border of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). This lizard is rarely found on the territory of the valley near the Central Asian Syr Darya River.

Typically, gray lizards in large numbers live where you can find many small mammals. This place is considered to be the Turkmen settlement of Garametniyaz. More precisely, the territory next to it - there for each square kilometer the density of gray lizards is from 9 to 12 individuals.

Lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts - this is where the gray monitor is most often found. What are the features of its appearance - it was said at the very beginning of the article, and with this appearance it turns out to be easy to hide from more predatory animals. Most often these lizards can be found on semi-fixed or fixed sands, slightly less often - on clay soils.

Varans try to adhere to river valleys, foothills, ravines, tugai thickets. And they can not be found in those areas where dense vegetation is observed. However, they visit forest rare arrays. But certainly they will never live in those places that are adjacent to human dwellings.

The gray lizards hide in the same burrows, where turtles and rodents used to live. They can "settle" in a hollow or bird's nest. But they are looking for ready housing, as a rule, in clay deserts. Because there it is difficult for them to dig their own burrow. But in the sand deserts - no. There, lizards dig burrows, the depth of which can reach several meters. For the winter they hibernate there. And that no one gets into the hole, they close it with a stopper from the ground.

Activity

Varanov can be met only during the day, and then if the street is not too hot. If the thermometer's column goes off scale - the lizard will hide in the shelter. The normal temperature of their body is from 31.7 to 40.6 degrees maximum.

Varanas are pretty fast creatures. They move at a speed of 100-120 meters per minute. That is, an hour can overcome 7.2 kilometers - and this is one and a half times more than a person can walk by the usual step. Although in a day these lizards pass only a little more than 10 kilometers. From their burrow they are removed for long distances, but always come back.

Varan easily climb the trees, often go into the ponds. There is an assumption that they can mark their territory - this happens in the summer and spring. However, this is not the opinion of all biologists, so the fact is controversial.

Enemies

They are almost absent among gray lizards, if we speak about the natural habitat. The only enemy of this lizard is a man. Although the young individuals are often attacked by black kites, snake-eaters, jackals, corsacs and kurgans. Larger lizards can also attack the gray lizard. And if he sees the danger, he will develop a speed of up to 20 km / h to break away from the pursuit. But if it does not work out, it "swells", becomes flat and wide, begins to hiss and far outstretch its long bifurcated tongue. Which, by the way, is its additional olfactory organ.

If the enemy is not frightened and continues to advance - the lizard starts lashing his tail and rushing at the aggressor. It can also bite, although this is the last method to which he resorts. Because the teeth of the monitor are capable of inflicting severe pain, resulting in an inflammatory response. Lizards are not poisonous, but certain toxic components in their saliva are present.

What else is worth knowing?

Everyone knows that there are many fans who want to keep exotic animals at home. Gray lizards in the apartment conditions do not contain anybody, because they need special care. And it can only be provided by the person who knows by heart the physiological characteristics of this lizard.

It is interesting that Muslims are wary of gray lizards. Their name in Turkic sounds like "kesel". The given word is translated as "illness". And people believe that meeting with a lizard will bring misfortune.

At one time these creatures were on the brink of extinction. Many people found the hide of the lizards extremely beautiful, which is difficult to disagree. In addition, it is very strong. And the lizards were massacred to make shoes, wallets, bags and other accessories out of their skins. At the beginning of the 20th century, 20,000 individuals were killed each year. Then people realized what horror they were committing, and stopped killing these creatures. This is encouraging, although representatives of the species are not so many as before - in some places the lizards are already extinct.