Morphology of Monitor lizard:

 Monitor lizards are large lizard in genus varanus.

 They are very uniform in body shape but much diversified in body size
along both phylogenetic and ontogenetic axes.
 They have long neck ,powerful tail and claws with well developed limbs.

Skeletal system of Monitor lizard:

Figure: skull of Monitor lizard

Skull:

 Elongated, thick and tightly bounded.

 Bones:Frontal,prefrontal,quadrate,jugal,squamosal,dentary,maxilla,premaxilla,
parietal bone etc.

Mandible:

 They have very powerful jaws.

Ribs:

 Ribs are attached to vertebra.

Vertebral column:

 Presacral 27-35
 Postsacral 47-137

Figure: Skeletal system of monitor lizard.

Limbs:

 Well developed forelimb.

Digestive system of Monitor lizard:

Teeth:

 Premolar 8-9.
 Molar 12-13.
 11-13 on each dentary.

Tongue:

 Tongue is forked and pigmented.

Stomach:

 Monitor lizard have simple stomach.

Liver:

 Liver is bilobed and pyramidal in shape.

Pancreas:

 Pancreas is tri-lobate.

Spleen:

 Spindle in shape.

Respiratory system of Monitor lizard:

Lung:

 Multi chambered.
 Two lobes; right and left.
 Figure: Respiratory system of monitor lizard.

Cardiovascular system of Monitor lizard:

Figure: Cardiovascular system of monitor lizard.

Heart:

 Three chambered heart.

Urogenital system of Monitor lizard:

Urinary system:

Kidney:

 Symmetrical, elongated and lobulated.

Urinary bladder:

 Absent.

Male genital system:

Testes:

 Located in lower abdominal cavity.

Penis:

 Paired hemipenis.
 Located below the cloacal opening.

Figure: Urogenital system of monitor lizard.

Female genital system:

Ovary:

 Grape-cluster like shape.

Uterus:

 Four segmented uterus.

Nervous system of Monitor lizard:

Brain:

 More advanced with a larger cerebrum and celebellum.

Cranial nerve:

 12 pairs.

Figure: Nervous system of Monitor lizard

Shawlin Rahman

Roll No.:2018/07

Reg.No.:17C1-007

Session:2017-18