Behavior of Varanus Konnodoensis 
315 
Figure 9. A 1.2 m V. komodoensis (right) reacts stressfully (roach raised, head tilted downward and hyoid 
“inflated”) showing a startled alarm movement when larger feeding monitor in background moves 
carcass. 
The appeasement display of small moni- 
tors when near a group of larger individuals 
is clearly related to submission, since it fails 
to elicit aggressive behavior by the adults. 
Carpenter (1961) has reported similar dis- 
plays in juvenile desert iguanas when ap- 
proaching adults. 
The function of the monitor’s appeasement 
display is apparently to block aggression and 
may be regarded as a type of formalized 
nonaggression in which all functional move- 
ments of threat or defense are avoided. 
Carpenter (1961) similarly concluded that 
such “actions probably work to protect the 
juveniles.” 
With few exceptions, large monitors 
around carrion are within 3 m of each other 
and seldom are within the 3 to 6 m range; 
smaller individuals tend to be distributed 
around the periphery of these larger speci- 
mens. Thus, there is a definite correlation 
between rank and social spacing around 
carrion (Table 12), but none with respect to 
sex (Table 13). When resting between feed- 
ing periods, there is a tendency for large 
Table 12. Size and social spacing of monitors 
around carrion 
Size Classes 
(in m) 
Distance from carrion (in m) 
0-2.0 
2.1-4.0 
4.1 + 
1.1-1.5 
39 
89 
154 
1.6-2.0 
51 
94 
127 
2.1-2.5 
86 
41 
39 
2.9-3.0 
119 
67 
28 
higher-ranking specimens to remain separ- 
ated from other individuals. 
Kaufmann (1962) has shown that there is 
no strong hierarchical system in the loosely 
organized mammalian social group of coatis, 
Nastta narica, apparently because they have 
a limited repertoire of social displays. Thus 
intraband disputes are commonly settled by 
fighting. The behavior of individuals within 
a feeding aggregation of Komodo monitors 
more closely approximates this situation than 
that reported for other lizards. However, 
because V. komodoensis is cannibalistic, 
there is utility in maintaining spacing, at 
least as far as the smaller individuals are 
