Sago or shortly after the inflorescence appears. The stems, which grow 10 to 15 metres high), are split out. The starch-containing pith is taken from the stems and ground to powder. The powder is kneaded in water over a cloth or sieve to release the starch. The water with the starch passes into a trough where the starch settles. After a few washings, the starch is ready to be used in cooking. A single palm yields about 800 pounds (360 kilograms) of dry starch. The sago palm, "Metroxylon sagu", is found in tropical lowland forest and freshwater swamps across Southeast Asia
Sago monitor "V. indicus" group, but is also frequently encountered in riparian habitats and rainforests. It can reach lengths of 0.8 to 1.5 m in length and weigh between 0.5 and 1.5 kg. The lizard was named "obor" (meaning "torch" in Indonesian) due to its unique coloration. The sago monitor was first seen in the wild by Valter Weijola, who in March and April 2009 visited Sanana. One preserved specimen (the holotype), apparently collected between 1860 and 1866, is housed in Naturalis (formerly Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, later Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum), Leiden, the Netherlands. Sago monitor The sago monitor or torch monitor,