Biawak - International Varanid Interest Group

Biawak 1(1): 34© 2007. International Varanid Interest Group34Rough-scaled Sand Boa (Eryx conicus) Predation on aBengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)DEVENDRA BHARDWAJ136-Nemi Nagar Ext.Vaishalli NagarJaipur (Rajasthan) IndiaDevendra_bhardwaj@yahoo.comWhile investigating the source of disturbance for many loud and excited birds at ca. 1130 h on 14 July2000, I observed the predation of a Bengal Monitor, Varanus bengalensis (ca. 1 m total length TL), by anadult Rough-scaled Sand Boa, Eryx conicus (ca. 1 m TL), near the village of Gunsi, in the northwesternIndian district of Rajasthan. Capture of the lizard by the snake was not witnessed. With its teeth, the E.conicus grasped the V. bengalensis by the head and coiled tightly around its torso. The E. conicus beganto swallow the monitor head-first after constricting it for ca. 35 min. The boa took ca. 30 min to consumethe lizard, and then slowly retreated to a burrow beneath a nearby bush and disappeared.The site where my observations were made consisted primarily of local grasses and Capparis deciduashrubs, and was located between a road and a non-irrigated agricultural field of Pearl millet, Pennisetumtyphoides, with some scattered Sorghum, Sorghum vulgare.Although documentation of Bengal Monitor predation by snakes exists (Mash, 1945), this accountrepresents the first reported predation of V. bengalensis by E. conicus. Despite my observations, giventheir nocturnal habits, sand boas are not likely predators of diurnal Bengal Monitors.Literature CitedMash, P. 1945. Indian Python (Python molurus) preying on Monitor Lizard (Varanus monitor). Journalof the Bombay Natural History Society 45(2): 249-250.Figure 1. A Varanus bengalensis is preyed upon by a Sand Boa (Eryx conicus)