Among the lizard-like reptiles there are interesting representatives: chameleons, lizards, crocodiles and other reptiles. Because of the features in the classification of reptiles, I really want to understand which lizard is called the desert crocodile. Why is this reptile so named?
A deserted crocodile is called a huge lizard - a gray monitor lizard. In fact, the land crocodile is not the largest lizard. He gave the palm to Komodo’s monitor lizard. Gray monitor lizard is a medium-sized reptile weighing about 4 kg and reaching one and a half meters in length.
Due to the large size of this representative, the reptiles have been called a desert crocodile. Although his habits and manner of movement are more similar to the habits of snakes. A large desert crocodile bends like a snake in the body, and uses a thin tongue to sense air when moving.
Distribution area
The habitat of the gray monitor lizard is the north of Africa, the southern territories of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. In addition, he mastered the land, spreading in the south-west of Asia, stretching to Pakistan and Balochistan.
For life, the reptile chooses sand deserts. Those places where the sands are more or less fixed. He likes a large lizard (desert crocodile) rocky foothills, tugai forests, cliffs along the coasts of rivers. She arranges housing in the burrows of all kinds of rodents. Having expanded and deepened the tunnel, dug with a gopher or a large gerbil, the monitor lizard arranges its nest there.
He deepens the hole to two and a half meters, and at the end he builds an expanded chamber (about half a meter in length and twelve centimeters in width). Sometimes the beast is engaged in self-digging holes. The tunnel in this case reaches at least four meters.
Distinctive features of a desert crocodile
This lizard is distinguished from other reptiles of its family by several characteristic features. The cross section of the tail is round. The gray monitor lizard over the body does not have a narrow longitudinal keel. The nostrils of the beast, resembling slanting slits, are close to the eyes, more precisely, to their front edges (while in other reptiles they are at the end of the muzzle).
The background of the body is painted in grayish or reddish-brown tones. Brown stripes are clearly visible along the back and tail in the transverse direction at regular intervals, between which dark specks and specks are randomly scattered.
The habits of a desert crocodile
Predator movements are fast. When running, a desert crocodile can reach speeds of up to 120 meters per minute. The beast rushes, spreading its legs, raising its body high. His tail does not touch the ground. This tempo is enough for the monitor lizard for a short time, tired, it slows down to such an extent that a person catches a tired lizard into the lungs.
The predator climbs on low trees and bushes. It’s not a problem for him to jump from a height of 0.5 meters. Having met a man, he inflates with force the body, which is forced to take on a different shape, wide and flat, emits a loud hiss.
Its tail, whipping with power from right to left and vice versa, does not make it possible to seize the reptile. At the same time, the desert crocodile sticks out its tongue from a wide-open mouth and attempts to bite the enemy. The bite of the monitor lizard is far from harmless, it painfully surrenders. After all, a predator is able to eat a human finger.
Central Asian and Kazakhstan desert crocodiles, climbing deep into the hole, sealing the entrance with an earthen cork, fall into hibernation.
Gray lizard food
Large lizard, desert crocodile - predator. The reptile feeds on all kinds of living creatures: insects and scorpions, phalanges and lizards, snakes (and poisonous too), young turtles, birds, rodents, and in spring also bird eggs and turtles.
Finding food, the monitor lizard is forced to make huge transitions. Having left a hole, he makes races reaching half a kilometer. The predator’s route is usually unchanged. Moving over and over the path once laid, the beast examines colonies of gerbils, tortoise holes, and bird nests. At the same time, he arranges an overnight stay where dusk overtook him.
Reproduction of a large lizard
Sexual maturity in a gray monitor lizard does not occur earlier than in the third year of age. It is when the reptile reaches a length of 60-80 centimeters. Central Asian desert crocodile mates in May. And in early June, the females are laying eggs.
They leave them deep in holes. In addition, they should not bury the masonry deep in the sand. In young animals, 8-15 are laid in the nest, and in mature females up to 23 eggs. Before leaving the eggs of tiny reptiles, 3-3.5 months pass. Cubs at the gray monitor lizard appear in September.
