Varanus prasinus
It’s hard to believe that this beautiful small-bodied lizard is in the same family as the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. It has remarkable adaptations to its arboreal (tree-dwelling) life, including an extremely long prehensile tail (which can be used like a fifth limb), very sharp claws, and a lightweight slim body. It has a varied diet, which may include insects, snails and slugs, small eggs, lizards, and frogs; several authors have commented that the species is even fond of bananas! It lays up to 5 eggs per clutch; eggs typically hatch in around 5 months.
Habitat/Range
New Guinea, and adjacent islands
