Monitoring the Many Faces of Monitors
Artist: Darren Naish Source: Monitor musings, varanid variables, goannasaurian goings-on... it's about monitor lizards, by Darren Naish on Tetrapod Zoology If you’re not a herpetologist, you may be of the mindset that lizards all look the same, but that would only expose you for what you are: a human primate, finely attuned to the faces [...]
By Kalliopi Monoyios
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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Artist: Darren Naish
Source: Monitor musings, varanid variables, goannasaurian goings-on… it’s about monitor lizards, by Darren Naish on Tetrapod Zoology
If you’re not a herpetologist, you may be of the mindset that lizards all look the same, but that would only expose you for what you are: a human primate, finely attuned to the faces of other human primates and not so attuned to lizard looks. Paleozoologist Darren Naish, however, is spending a good deal of time capturing the distinguishing details of a carefully selected sampling of the world’s living monitor lizards (and putting them on t-shirts). With over 77 extant species and counting, this illustration only captures a handful. But for us humans, perhaps a handful is enough.
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