Talk:Savannah monitor

Status
Where did the information that the 'Varanus exanthematicus' was low risk? According to the ADW this is what it says "Varanus exanthematicus is listed as a threatened species (Quality Design 1998). In Africa it is persecuted for its skin and as a source of food by the natives. The animal is also exported in great numbers for the pet trade." and

"IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated.

US Federal List: Threatened." Nrg800 (talk) 06:26, 24 August 2008 (UTC) Nrg800

their habitat spans millions of uninhabited square miles. Bennett'ts density survey found 375 juveniles per sq km. the typical clutch size reportedly varies from 24 to 40.

therefore, you see, even in the worst case scenario, vast numbers (and a huge percentage) must die each season just to keep numbers down.

They are on the CITES list because they are in the genus Varanus. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.194.172.210 (talk) 20:31, 14 November 2009 (UTC)


 * As Nrg800 said, IUCN Red List doesn't list it. I've changed the taxobox and cited IUCN. --Stfg (talk) 22:20, 20 June 2010 (UTC)

Defense
the single example shown by Bennett in his little book of a sav clamped onto his own hind leg was most likely due to the hunter mischievously putting the animal's leg there when it was gaping his mouth in threat when it was captured. this alleged behavior has never been observed, but only inferred from a single bushman's joke. when they bite, they clamp down and don't let go. it does not matter what they bite, even themselves. it may be a defense against snakes - a snake can't swallow anything if there is a sav clamped on his neck - and snakes have a lot of neck. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.202.242.29 (talk) 01:03, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Threats
"It has been estimated by some keepers that fewer than 1% of imported animals reach 5 years, and by some in the reptile trade that the average life span of a Savannah Monitor after touching ground on US soil is 1 year, due to huge amounts of misinformation on their care. A good site providing information about proper care in captivity is http://savannahmonitor.org/ [2]"

This is complete fabrication. There is no source except a gang of teenage forum trolls who have taken over this topic and put up a website full of speculative, anecdotal and absurd beliefs listed as an authoritative reference? Perhaps nobody involved with wikipedia foresaw that the ideal of crowdsourced expertise ran the parallel risk of gangland stupidity. Wikipedia is explicitly banned at most educational institutions as an information source because it has become an arena for flamewars among the passionately disturbed as much as or more than the fulfillment of the original dream - at least, I once believed in the early statements of purpose and intent. Observations show them subverted to the point of redefining the character of Wikipedia. The egregious manipulations done by Connoloy and the doomsday scientologists seems to be representative of the most trivial subjects as well. For proving that to me and readjusting my formerly optimistic view, I can honestly thank you. It's useful to know what a skunk smells like, too. Naturally, one doesn't want to do it more than once if possible to avoid. I don't donate to skunks, either. To be an enabler is equally wrong. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.202.242.8 (talk) 02:15, 12 January 2012 (UTC)