Watch Huge Lizards and Monkeys Launch Into an Epic Battle Over Free Food

Sharing is caring. Well, at least that’s what we were taught growing up. We’re not sure these lizards and monkeys in the video below agree with us! 

Fending for oneself can often be a rule of thumb in the wild.  With animals being left to fend for themselves at such a young age, they become readily adaptable to providing for themselves no matter the cost. 

Watch the Clip Below!

At the start of the video below, three little monkeys follow two grown adult monkeys in close pursuit of the food they found. The monitor lizard, a rather big fellow, is trying to weasel his way into the group, hoping they will let him take some food. 

However, the monitor lizard is in for one rude awakening when one of the monkeys comes up and slaps him across the face! This enormous lizard does not react to this. He knows it wasn’t a sign of aggression. The monkeys were just letting him know that this was their spot, the food they had found, and that he was not welcome to join in. 

The lizard simply moves around to go toward the front of the food and help himself. Whether or not he’s welcome, he knows he has just as much of a right to be there. One of the older monkeys makes another attempted slap at the lizard. This time the lizard responds in kind by taking one step forward and sticking his tongue out. Almost as if to say he’s not the one to play with.

By the end of this video, the lizard is still trying to worm his way in and grab what food he can. And now he is joined by his fellow monitor lizard friend too. The lizards stick to one side, and the monkeys stick to the other. They will have to share for now because neither group is budging. 

Monitor Lizard Facts

These lizards are not your usual small ones hanging around your front porch. These lizards can be anywhere from 2-366 pounds! Couple that with their speed of 28 miles per hour makes them a lizard you probably do not want to find on your front porch coming home at night. 

Monitor lizards are reptiles that enjoy eating rodents, snakes, and other lizards. They mostly live in solitary, but they can sometimes be found in groups. While they are not aggressive, if they are provoked, they will become aggressive.

And as we see from the video below, they did not aggressively go after the monkeys eating beside them. When they were challenged, they stood up to that challenge, but they did not incite a fight.

Do Monitor Lizards Normally Eat Fruit?

Monitor lizards typically eat a diet that consists of insects, small mammals, and other small reptiles. Generally, they are carnivorous. However, they may occasionally scavenge for carrion. It is not uncommon for them to consume fruit, including bananas and apples, as part of their diet. This is especially true of younger monitor lizards, as they need more energy than their adult counterparts. In addition, some monitor lizards (like the Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor) are omnivorous and eat a wide range of food, including fruits, leaves, flowers, and even other small animals. Fruit should not constitute the majority of a monitor lizard’s diet, but it is completely normal for them to consume it every now and then.