Ornate monitor

Description

The back is dark – olive green to black – with cross bands of yellow or cream color ocelli plus additional bands on the tail.The ventral side is yellowish with gray banding.The number of ocelli bands on the body,four,or five,was supposed to distinguish V.ornatus from V.niloticus,which has from six to nine.The markings fade somewhat as the animal matures.Ornate monitors are quite large and can grow up to two metres in length.