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Black Tree Monitor
Varanus beccarii
A sleek, jet-black Indonesian arboreal monitor lizard known for its agility and intelligence. It requires large vertical enclosures, high tropical humidity, and complex climbing structures.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Varanidae
Genus:Varanus
Species:Varanus beccarii
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
75 - 95 %
Day temperature
28 - 32 °C
Ambient temperature
28 °C
Night temperature
22 - 24 °C
Basking spot
28 - 32 °C
Adult size
34 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 1,200 L
UVB
Medium
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the Aru Islands of Indonesia. It is restricted to hot, humid tropical rainforests and coastal mangroves, spending its entire life high in the forest canopy.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Varanidae, genus Varanus, and subgenus Euprepiosaurus (part of the Varanus prasinus species complex). Its solid black coloration (melanism) is an evolutionary genetic adaptation for camouflage in dense canopy shadows.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal, strictly arboreal, and highly active. It is a shy, easily stressed monitor lizard. It relies heavily on its prehensile tail as a stabilizing limb when navigating thin branches.
Morphology: A slender, elegant monitor lizard reaching a total length of 90-100 cm, with the tail representing two-thirds of this length. Coloration is a solid, glossy jet-black. Features long, needle-sharp claws and a prehensile tail.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a large vertical enclosure (minimum 120x60x120 cm). Furnish heavily with intersecting branches, vertical cork bark tubes, and sturdy live or artificial plants. Use a moisture-retaining substrate like cypress mulch and soil.
Lighting and Heating: Basking spot must reach 43-48°C (109-118°F) using halogen bulbs. Ambient temperatures should be 28-32°C (82-90°F) with a night drop to 22-24°C (72-75°F). High-output 10-12% UVB lighting is required.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels (70-85%). Daily misting is mandatory alongside a large water tub that allows the monitor to submerge fully.
Feeding and Supplementation: Carnivorous. Diet should include gut-loaded large insects (roaches, crickets, locusts), occasional pinky/fuzzy mice, and egg pieces. Dust insects with calcium three times a week and multivitamins weekly.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Males are highly territorial. Keep individually; housing a male-female pair requires immense space and close observation to prevent injuries.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly sensitive to stress, which can lead to immunosuppression and anorexia. Respiratory infections can develop if the enclosure is cold and drafty. Watch for stuck shed on digits and tail tip, which can lead to necrosis.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the Aru Islands of Indonesia. It is restricted to hot, humid tropical rainforests and coastal mangroves, spending its entire life high in the forest canopy.
Origin
South and Southeast Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 34 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 34 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 34 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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