Yellow-headed water monitor at Debrecen Zoo – PHOTOS

It is now considered tradition that the Debrecen Zoo unveils an animal exhibit at Night at the Zoo in late August every year. Following their Indian pythons’ introduction to their new holding facility last year, this year’s event featured yet another exotic reptile as visitors got a first peek at a newly acquired yellow-headed water monitor.

Native to Mindanao and nearby small islands, the yellow-headed water monitor (Varanus cumingi), also known as the Philippine or Cuming’s water monitor, is one of the larger monitor lizard species; which, along with a color combination of black and yellow, also makes it one of the most impressive-looking as well.

Yellow-Headed Water Monitor at Debrecen Zoo. © Fotó: Matey István

In the wild, it prowls the shade of trees near water bodies, preying on birds, fish, smaller lizards and rodents or larger crustaceans. Its Latin name is in honor of 19th-century English collector Hugh Cuming – just like the names of several other reptile and plant species native to the Philippines.

This species is a particularly rare sight at zoos, with now one institution keeping it in Hungary and a total of 15 worldwide. Since it is relatively easy to tame, it makes a popular pet, especially in the USA. With a notable decrease in its numbers in the wild due to overharvesting, it is now included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Yellow-Headed Water Monitor at Debrecen Zoo

Those who decided to go to this supermarket in Sepsiszentgyörgy, Transylvania, experienced something very rare that Friday afternoon. Székelyhon.ro reported that the surprisingly long grass snake was found on the tomatoes of the supermarket on a peaceful Friday afternoon. Luckily, none of the shoppers panicked. They informed the staff of the supermarket and asked for the help of the security guards to remove the animal from the store.

Adventure of a lifetime – Grass snake found in Transylvanian supermarket