which they carry their tails rolled up behind them. According to native belief, they give a warning call if they see crocodiles. In general V. salvadorii avoids human contact, but its bite is capable of causing infection, like the Komodo dragon's. One fatality was reported from a bite in 1983 when a Papuan woman was bitten and later died from an infection. Diet The teeth of V. salvadorii do not resemble those of other monitor species, which typically are blunt, peglike, and face slightly rearward. Their upper teeth are long, fang-like, set vertically in the jawbone, adapted to hooking into fast-moving prey such as birds, bats, and rodents. Their lower teeth are housed in a fleshy sheath. In the wild, V. salvadorii is the top predator in New Guinea, feeding on birds (particularly Cacatua sp. and maleos (Macrocephalon maleo)), eggs, small mammals (such as rats and bandicoots), frogs, reptiles, and carrion. Natives have reported that it can take down pigs, deer, and hunting dogs, and hauls its prey into the canopy to consume it. Captive specimens have been known to eat fish, frogs, rodents, chickens, and dog food. This species has been observed hunting prey in a unique fashion for monitor lizards. Rather than following its prey to ambush it from behind, V. salvadorii may stalk its prey and anticipate where it will run, meeting it headlong. Reproduction Reproduction of V. salvadorii has only been observed in captivity, so nothing is known about its reproduction in the wild. The egg clutches, comprising four to 12 eggs, are deposited around October to January, with the eggs showing a remarkable difference in dimensions, a phenomenon for which no explanation is known. Dimensions may vary from , while weight may vary from . Most clutches laid in captivity have been infertile, and only four successful breedings have been documented thus far. Hatchlings are about long and weigh around . Like those of many other monitors, the hatchlings of V. salvadorii are more colorful than adults, and feed primarily on insects and small reptiles. Conservation Varanus salvadorii is currently protected under the CITES Appendix II, which requires an exportation permit for international trade. It is not listed on the IUCN Red List or the Endangered Species Act. It faces threats from deforestation and poaching, as it is hunted and skinned alive by native peoples, who consider the monitor an evil spirit that "climbs trees,