Roughneck Monitor
Varanus rudicollis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
- GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
- SpeciesVaranus rudicollis (Roughneck Monitor)
About the Roughneck Monitor
The black rough-necked monitor (Varanus rudicollis) is a species of monitor lizard found in Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. It is also found in Indonesia on Sumatra and islands of the Riau Archipelago It is sometimes known simply as the roughneck monitor. In Thailand is called h̄èā cĥāng (Thai: เห่าช้าง; "elephant bark/roar").
The habitat of Varanus rudicollis is limited to primary and secondary rainforest and mangrove swamps. In the wild the black rough-necked monitor is very rarely seen, but whether this is because of its rarity or its very secretive behavior is uncertain. They are often kept successfully in captivity, but have a shy disposition.
This species is most closely related to its sister group, the water monitor species complex (e.g., the Asian water monitor) which are also in the subgenus Soterosaurus, having split from them 14 million years ago in the middle Miocene.
The black roughneck is a medium to large monitor. It usually reaches an average adult size of 3–4 ft. (90–120 cm), with a maximum length of 5 feet (150 cm), reported. The black rough-necked monitor can be easily recognized by large pointed scales adorning the... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |