RANGE | Their range extends throughout the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal almost to the Congo River and Great Rift Valley. They can also be found in rocky, semi-desert habitats and occasionally in open forests or woodland areas.

FUN FACTS | These lizards are mostly terrestrial, hunting and hiding on the ground. They are excellent diggers so are often found in underground burrows. They are solitary creatures and are quite territorial, especially the males. They are incredibly adaptable and can climb bushes and low trees as well. They are also capable of swimming if necessary to find food or avoid predation.

These lizards are carnivores. They have powerful jaws and their blunt teeth can crush shells and bones of their prey. A significant part of their diet is mollusks and arthropods, such as crustaceans and large insects or spiders. A favorite snack in the wild as the giant milliepde. They can hunt small rodents and will occasionally raid nests in bushes and low trees. They are adapted to live in grassland habitats but their feeding behavior changes seasonally. During the wet and rainy season,which can last an average of 8 months, they will hunt and eat as much as possible so they can survive on their fat reserves during the dry season when food is scarce and they become more inactive.

Scientists recently discovered that their lungs are structured with commonalities between both mammals and birds.

These lizards can grow up to 5 feet long. Their life expectancy in the wild is roughly 10 years and, in captivity with proper housing and diet, they can live an average of 15–20.

Mwindaji was originally found on the sidewalk in Pacifica, CA in the middle of winter. Mwindaji was so cold that he wasn’t able to move so the little boy thought he was a toy until he picked up the lizard, causing him to exhale. The little boy ran into his house to tell his parents and, after his insistence, they came outside to check. When the dad picked up the lizard, Mwindajii again exhaled and they realized he was a real lizard and alive- just barely. They brought him inside and put him in a box with some towels, thinking that would help warm him. They got on their computer and misidentified what kind of lizard he is. They offered him greens, veggies and some fruit but he just wouldn’t eat any. After a week, they placed him in a brown paper grocery bag and took him to a local pet store to see if they could help.

The staff there immediately realized he was a monitor lizard- one of the most efficient reptile predators on the planet, which explains his lack of interest in the salads being offered to him. After they set him up in a tank with heat and lights, they called us to see if we were interested in a monitor lizard. While initially we were not looking for another lizard, one of our team stopped by the pet store to check him out. After seeing how skinny and weak he was, we realized we needed to help him so he came to Wildmind. We gave him the name Mwindaji. This is a word from Swahili—a language spoken in Africa—that means hunter.

For reptiles, it is all about texture. These lizards love to crawl over stuffed and plastic toys, especially appreciating items with openings that he can travel through or crawl in and under. He also really enjoys different toddler learning toys since these items often have different shapes and textures on blocks, beads and balls that move on plastic coated wires or frames that make it even more interesting and challenging as well as small bath toys that float in their pools. He really likes different surfaces for lounging and even hanging ferret beds and stuffed animals. His favorite is his stuffed Rocky, the flying squirrel stuffed animal!