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Nile Monitor

Nile Monitor line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Nile Monitor full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Nile Monitor was completed on 6.8.2010. Some of my friends I see at the reptile shows I attend mentioned I should draw a monitor or two. Well, I figured this was one of the species to start with (I added the Argus Monitor a few months later. I enhanced the rainbow like coloration on the tail somewhat (the subject I was drawing from was dry and dusty, but I'd imagine the colors would pop more if the lizard was clean or wet. The drawing is based on a photo by Flickr friend 'mothclark62'

Information about the Nile Monitor:

The Nile Monitor is a large lizard of the monitor family. They can grow to about nine feet long, and are very powerful and muscular, with sharp claws for digging, climbing, tearing apart prey of defending themselves. They're found throughout much of central Africa in a wide variety of habitats usually near permanent bodies of water. There might be small isolated populations in Missouri and Florida. These large reptiles are occasionally kept as pets, although their size and needs make them suitable only for experienced handlers.