Naming
Three subspecies have been described:⤷ "V. g. griseus"
⤷ "V. g. caspius"
⤷ "V. g. koniecznyi"
Distribution
Jordan, Turkey [Eiselt, Böhme ]Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria,
Lebanon, Iraq, Arabia, Oman, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan,
Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, NW India
Type locality: Dardsha, coast of the Caspian Sea
Status
"V. griseus" is not threatened in much of its habitat, although a great deal of the land previously inhabited by the subspecies "V. g. caspius" has been turned into farmland, which puts pressure on the species. Around 17,000 skins of this lizard are involved in commercial trade every year. While trading the skins internationally is prohibited by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in northern Africa, central Asia, and parts of India, the species is unprotected from hunting laws and is still hunted commercially.Reproduction
Desert monitor reproduction normally takes place between May and July. Copulation occurs in May and June, and the lizards normally lay their eggs from the latter part of June through the beginning of July. The eggs are incubated at temperatures from 29 to 31 °C, and hatch after an average of 120 days. At birth, the baby lizards have a total length of around 25 cm.Food
Like most members of the genus "Varanus", "V. griseus" is a carnivore. The preferred prey of the species is mice, eggs, or fish, but it will also prey on smaller mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, insects, or other invertebrates, if the opportunity presents itself.Defense
The possibility of venom in the genus "Varanus" is widely debated. Previously, venom was thought to be unique to Serpentes and Heloderma. The aftereffects of a "Varanus" bite were thought to be due to oral bacteria alone, but recent studies have shown venom glands are more likely in the mouths of several, if not all of the species. "V. griseus" has not yet been specifically tested, but its bites have shown aftereffects consistent with the venomous bites from other varanid lizards. The venom can be used as a defensive mechanism to fend off predators, to help digest food, to sustain oral hygiene, and possibly to help in capturing and killing prey.References:
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