```👁️‍🗨️. 🔍Did you know?🦎``` ```The Nile monitor is a large member of the monitor family found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in drier regions, and along the Nile River and its tributaries in East Africa. Additionally, there are modern, invasive populations in North America. Scientific name: Varanus niloticus Class: Reptilia Domain: Eukaryota Family: Varanidae Genus: Varanus Kingdom: Animalia Order: Squamata``` * The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is the most common in the area, Africa’s largest lizard, growing up to 2.1 metres in length! * Built for survival: With muscular limbs, razor-sharp claws, and a whip-like tail, it’s equally at home on land, in trees, and in water. * Diet: Carnivorous and opportunistic, monitor lizards feed on *insects, fish, frogs, small mammals, birds, and even crocodile eggs.* They’re also scavengers, helping to keep the ecosystem clean. * Forked tongue:Like snakes, they use their *forked tongues to “taste” the air and track prey* using their keen sense of smell. * Intelligence: Studies have shown monitor lizards *can count and even solve basic problems*; rare abilities among reptiles! # *WILDLIFE* 📌✍🏾