st ict us ) ▁ ▁Description ▁Var anus ▁al big ular is ▁is ▁the ▁heav iest - b od ied ▁l izard ▁in ▁Africa , ▁as ▁adult ▁males ▁average ▁about ▁ ▁and ▁females ▁we igh ▁from ▁. ▁Lar ge ▁m ature ▁males ▁can ▁att ain ▁. ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁second ▁longest ▁African ▁l izard ▁after ▁the ▁N ile ▁monitor ▁( Var anus ▁nil ot icus ). ▁Var anus ▁al big ular is ▁reaches ▁ ▁in ▁total ▁length ▁( including ▁tail ), ▁with ▁its ▁tail ▁and ▁body ▁being ▁of ▁equal ▁size . ▁M ature ▁spec im ens ▁more ▁typically ▁will ▁measure ▁. ▁The ▁head ▁and ▁neck ▁are ▁the ▁same ▁length , ▁and ▁are ▁distinct ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁The ▁bul b ous , ▁convex ▁sn out ▁gives ▁an ▁angular , ▁box - like ▁appearance . ▁ ▁The ▁for ked ▁tongue ▁is ▁p ink ▁or ▁bl u ish , ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁body ▁scales ▁are ▁usually ▁a ▁m ott led ▁gray - b rown ▁with ▁yellow ish ▁or ▁white ▁mark ings . ▁ ▁Diet ▁ ▁V . ▁al big ular is ▁are ▁general ists , ▁feed ing ▁opportun ist ically ▁on ▁a ▁broad ▁variety ▁of ▁pre y ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁T ort o ises ▁make ▁up ▁a ▁significant ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁di et , ▁and ▁are ▁sw allowed ▁whole ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁hard ▁shell . ▁Otherwise , ▁this ▁species ▁cons umes ▁very ▁little ▁verte br ate ▁pre y , ▁e ating ▁primarily ▁in verte br ates , ▁especially ▁mill ip edes , ▁be