rock monitor in Oudtshoorn?

[snake kid]

have any one heard of monitors in the Oudtshoorn area? my mom and a friend of hers went for a walk on a farm 15km out on the Mosselbay road and said they saw a huge almost meter long lizard run out in front of them, so my first thought was rock monitor. I'm still going to go investigate myself but just wanted to know if anyone else has heard of them being in the area.

[Westley Price]

[it_bit_me]

They are very rare here but they are around - like padlopers and molesnakes. The army okes see them often but apparently they are too fast to catch.

This is a news article from last year where one was found in the Southern parts.
http://www.diehoorn.co.za/2010/02/25/li ... t-skarrel/

[bubblesharp]

They are very rare here but they are around - like padlopers and molesnakes. The army okes see them often but apparently they are too fast to catch.

Thank goodness for that, the last thing any one wants is a bunch of army guys catching lizzards and stuff in an area where their populations are small. And if the were not so fast they may have become dinner in some houses.

[it_bit_me]

That's the case even with Marsh turtles . The stinkfoot doesn't guarantee they will get away- it's the part they like the most.
If you stay in one place a long time you will notice how animals disappear over time.Last time I saw an molesnake was 15 years ago.
Padlopers 2-3 years- Geometrics 1 year and we even had an unconfirmed filesnake here 15 years ago .

[rubida]

Snake kid, After my publication in 2005 (Els, J. 2005. Varanidae: Varanus albigularis albigularis (Daudin, 1802). Geographical distribution. African Herp News 38: 32.) I found several more specimens in and around the Oudtshoorn area and two in the Klein Brak area in late 2008. They are more common towards Beaufort West and Prins Albert.

A photo of one in Oudtshoorn:

[snake kid]

Thats good to hear me and it_bit_me will go have a look and see whats going on.