Congo river dragon
In a truth where the African "mokele-mbembe" cryptid is based on its own species, it is not actually the last sauropod dinosaur, but a giant, sauropod-like monitor lizard. The Congo river dragon (Varanus mokelemembe) is both the largest living lizard and reptile, with males averaging around eight metres long and a tonne heavy, and it is not surprising that its dinosaurian appearance has been the spawn of many mistaken sightings and tales of living dinosaurs. It is especially akin to the old, sluggish, dull and aquatic reconstructions of sauropods from the likes of Knight, Burian and Zallinger. The males also bear an attractive horn (sometimes described in sightings) somewhat reminiscent of an Owenian Iguanodon right out of Crystal Palace Park. The Congo river dragon, part of the African Polydaedalus subgenus, is the closest living relative of the smaller, contemporary Nile monitor, and like it, also shares a laterally-compressed tail and raised nostrils, great for its amphibious lifestyle. Like the similar sauropods, this elusive lizard is primarily a herbivore, feeding on fruits such as lianas at the riverbank, but that doesn’t mean it’s peaceful. Adults are territorial, known to destroy unsuspecting riverboats from the water and fight the resident hippos and African forest elephants (which they occasionally also scavenge). What’s more is that the dragon itself is not worth the lunch, not only from reptilian salmonella, but also from the toxic fruit it feeds on. It advertises its toxicity to predators like big cats with slight aposematic patterns on its tail, as if to shout “frick off, you cat!” At times, the dragons may also dig huge burrows alongside the riverbank, either for shelter, or for keeping eggs. Before these eggs lay, the males engage in giraffe-like necking contests for a mate, slamming their necks or horns with real force into eachother. Even for a one-tonne behemoth, not a lot is known about the Congo river dragon, often spending its time in the elusive waters of an uncharted rainforest, and only ever breaking the waves when the sun’s only slightly over the horizon.
Loving retro paleoart so much, and having the idea of a speculative version of mokele-mbembe for a while, I’ve now finally illustrated this terrible lizard for Spectember. Keep in mind this is not to say that the mokele-mbembe is real, in fact, it’s one of the most questionable cryptids out there, this is just something like Cryptozoologicon. Fun fact, this is in the same genus as my favourite actual lizard. One might notice that the skin colour and pattern is also a homage to Charles R. Knight’s now hilarious, but still charming reconstruction of Brontosaurus from 1897.
Two brains the size of peas! By Charles R. Knight.
