Range
Nile monitors are native to Africa and the species is distributed throughout the entire central and southern regions of the continent, including Sudan and a portion of central Egypt along the Nile river (Schleich et al., 1996; Spawls et al., 2002). They are not found in any of the desert regions of Africa, however, as they are excellent swimmers and thrive around rivers.
In Florida, established breeding populations of Nile monitors are known to exist in different parts of the state since at least 1990 (Campbell, 2003; Enge et al. 2004). The vast majority of the established breeding population of the species is in Lee County, Florida, particularly in the Cape Coral and surrounding regions, including the nearby barrier islands (Sanibel, Captiva, and North Captiva), Pine Island, Fort Myers, and Punta Rassa. Established populations also exist in adjacent Charlotte County, especially in Gasparilla Island. Areas with a sizeable number of Nile monitor sightings in Florida include Palm Beach County just southwest of West Palm Beach along State Road 80. In July 2008 a Nile monitor was spotted in Homestead, a small city southwest of Miami. Other sightings have been reported near Hollywood, Naranja, and as far south as Key Largo in the Florida Keys. The potential for the established population of Nile monitors in Lee, Charlotte, and other counties in Florida, to negatively impact indigenous crocodilians (American alligator "Alligator mississippiensis" and American crocodile "Crocodylus acutus") is enormous given that they normally raid crocodile nests, eat eggs, and prey on small crocodiles in Africa. Anecdotal evidence indicates a high rate of disappearance of domestic pets and feral cats in Cape Coral (Campbell, 2003).
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