Nile Monitor escapes

A few years ago, I came across a man wanting to give away a small Nile Monitor. This is a smaller version of the Komodo dragon and it lives in Africa.  The fact that the reptile was free made me quick to accept his offer.  Up until then, I had never even seen one in person.  The lizard was about two feel long and weighted about 5 pounds. I was feeding it turkey from the store, but they will eat just about anything dead or alive.

It wasn’t long before I realized I was in over my head. These lizards will leave a nasty bite, but they also harbor diseases like salmonella. One scratch from its talons would have left me with a horrible infection.   It was a little creepy sleeping with this dragon-like creature in my room, so I decided an outdoor pen would have to be constructed.  I really went all out on the cage. It included a swimming pool, sleeping box, food dish, branches to climb on, and a big rock for basking in the sun. I placed the Monitor in the cage and was confident it would enjoy the new home.  I stood back to admire my work and general awesomeness. It was only later I realize that I had mad a big mistake.  During construction, I cut a small hole in the wire to throw food through.  I had intended to cover this hole with something that I could remove daily. Needless to say the lizard found the whole and escaped.

 

I figured the monitor would die, so I was surprised to see it a few months later in my yard.  My first attempt to recapture the lizard was a complete failure. I thought I would run the lizard down on foot and capture it with my bare hands. That didn’t happen, because the monitor took off up a tree like a squirrel chasing peanut butter. There is no question that Nile monitors are excellent tree climbers.  I began to wonder what it had been eating. Perhaps it had been eating my neighbor’s cats.  I can only guess, but due to the size of the lizard I knew it had found something. The Nile was 4 feet long now and looked to weigh 30 pounds or more.  I never saw the lizard again. I assumed that it would die during the winter, because it is a native species of Africa and can not handle this climate. I still wonder if it survived that first winter. Nature finds a way for the sort of things. I hope that it’s not lingering in some sewer pipe covered in chemicals, which will cause it to transform into a Godzilla type creature.  That would not be good for me.

Thanks for reading about my Nile Monitor story.

Michael Walker

Secret Swamp

Today, I would like to talk about my secret location for studying animals.When keeping reptiles you may want to do some field studies. One might want to collect data or simply just enjoy the scenery. I like to choose a spot that is undisturbed by humans. I found a place like this, somewhere in the southern part of Arkansas. I will not disclose the exact location, that information is completely exclusive. Nature is the best place to observe reptiles and other forest life.

I know that not many people know about my secret swamp. The swamp is deep in the woods. Dead trees and leaves cover the forest floor as you approach. A few rays of light shine through the tree tops onto the forest floor. This is a great place to find a snake trying to absorb some of the suns heat. Surprisingly, there are only four snakes here in the United States that will hurt you. The snakes to watch out for are rattlesnakes, coral snakes, cotton mouths, and copper heads. I have yet to find a coral snake in my part of Arkansas. I have found some snakes like the banded water snake, big rat snakes, rattle snakes, speckled king snakes, mole king snakes, copperheads, and cotton mouths. My best find was a hognose snake and a mole king snake.

 

I usually find a couple snakes on the way to canoe, which is well hidden in the swamp. I always select a location that feels secure and secret. Leaving dollar bills attached to trees and the canoe helps me decide if a place is free of humans. I usually look for alligators once out on the water. I have seen gators in this swamp that were much larger than a canoe. I always thought it would be fun to find one of the big alligator nests. I have trained several of the gators and named them. I call my gators in and feed them a couple times a week. I usually bring a couple cups of dog food, but sometimes will spoil them with baloney. I also observe many types of ducks and woodpeckers. I usually don’t keep up with woodpeckers, until I came across an article about a woodpecker called the Ivory billed woodpecker. This bird is thought to be extinct. I can’t prove it with pictures, and I don’t even own a camera, but I’ve seen it a couple times. It seems to only appear when you’re not looking for it. I didn’t tell anyone, because they would want into my secret swamp. My hopes are that the Ivory will reproduce and start rebuilding its population. I enjoy seeing all the different reptiles in there undisturbed habitat. I think it’s good to have a place where you can go and observe nature.

Thanks for reading about my swamp

Michael Walker