- Where to see one
- 4 U.S. zoos in our directory hold spiny-tailed monitor, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the spiny-tailed monitor
The spiny-tailed monitor, also called the ackie monitor, is a small Australian monitor lizard that reaches up to 70 cm in total length. It is found in northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and western Queensland, where it lives among arid rocky ranges and outcrops. Active by day and usually solitary, it shelters under rock slabs, in crevices and in burrows. It hunts arthropods such as grasshoppers, beetles and spiders, and small lizards make up about a third of its diet. Its dark brown back is spotted with yellowish to cream markings, and the round tail is covered in spiny scales.
Spiny-tailed Monitor facts
- Roughly 70% of its water requirement comes from its food.
- The tail is 1.3 to 2.3 times as long as the head and body combined.
- In the wild, females have been recorded sharing massive burrows and nesting communally.
- Eggs are laid in self-dug tunnels.
Where to see spiny-tailed monitor in the U.S.
4 zoos across 4 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 4 zoos holding spiny-tailed monitor by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Alabama· 1
Indiana· 1
Kansas· 1
North Carolina· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
