Open Today: 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Location map
Two spiny-tailed monitors lounging next to one another on a rock. Their dusty grey and tan patterned skin blends in perfectly with the texture of the rocks beneath them.

Spiny-tailed Monitor

Common Name:
Spiny-tailed Monitor
Scientific Name:
Varanus acanthurus
Gestation Period:
100 days
Habitats:
  • Desert
  • Grassland
  • Rocky Areas
  • Shrubland
Length:
2 ft
Life Span:
10 yrs
Number of Young:
5-12 eggs
Weight:
11 oz
About:

Did you know about 70 percent of the spiny-tailed monitor's water comes from its prey? Learn more about the spiny-tailed monitor.

Care & Wellness:

They are excellent eaters, dining on insects and pinkie mice 3-4 times a week. In their habitat, they enjoy basking on flat rocks and digging burrows. 

Behavior:
  • This monitor is a solitary ground dweller active during the day.
  • Rock crevices and burrows are used to retreat from extreme conditions, avoid predators, and as hunting sites.
  • This monitor wedges its spiny tail into rocks so it cannot be pried out by predators.
Endangered Status
  • Least Concern (LC)
Fun Facts:
  • They are also called the ridgetail monitor.
  • About 70 percent of the monitor's water comes from its prey.
  • Their streamlined build allows them to enter and exit rock crevices and burrows with ease.
  • Its tail is up to two times longer than the head and body.
A dusty black and white patterned spiny-tailed monitor resting on a rock.

Related Resources

A wide exterior shot showcases the large, glass-domed Desert exhibit building under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds. In front of the building, a landscaped area features various desert plants like cacti and succulents, along with rocks. A paved pathway curves in the foreground, and a wooden bench is visible on the right.
The Desert Habitat

The Desert is a glass-domed building designed to recreate an arid, colorful desert. Walk among free-flight birds, towering saguaros and watch the racing roadrunners.