Chicago, December 12, 2024 – Lincoln Park Zoo has announced the hatching of five black tree monitor lizards between October 27 and November 2. These hatchlings are the first offspring of a four-year-old female and her mate at the zoo. Currently, they remain behind the scenes as they grow and adjust to their diets.

The birth of these lizards is part of the Black Tree Monitor Species Survival Plan (SSP), a population management initiative among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions. With these new additions, there are now about 70 black tree monitors across 29 accredited institutions in the United States. Although their conservation status is unknown, researchers believe that wild populations may be declining due to harvesting for the pet trade.

Black tree monitor females lay eggs in warm, elevated spaces where they incubate for around 164 days. It takes approximately two years for hatchlings to reach sexual maturity. Initially, hatchlings do not eat but eventually start consuming insects, waxworms, and mice—an important milestone in their development.

“This is the first time in 20 years that we’ve had black tree monitor hatchlings at Lincoln Park Zoo, so their arrivals were quite exciting,” said Lincoln Park Zoo Curator Dan Boehm. “Black tree monitors are limited to a relatively small geographic range in the wild, so maintaining a healthy population across AZA institutions allows us to learn even more about this special species.”

Native only to the Aru Islands near New Guinea, black tree monitors can be identified by their slender bodies and long tails comprising two-thirds of their body length. Adults are solid black and measure between three and four feet long; hatchlings like those at Lincoln Park Zoo appear dark gray with bright yellow-green dots. They are solitary creatures residing primarily in trees within forest environments.

While visitors cannot yet see the new hatchlings as they continue growing behind closed doors, their parents can be viewed at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House.

Lincoln Park Zoo remains committed to inspiring communities towards wildlife-friendly environments amid urbanization challenges. Established in 1868 as a historic Chicago landmark, it operates as a not-for-profit organization offering free admission year-round.