Sago monitor Sago monitor The sago monitor or torch monitor, Varanus obor, is a species of monitor lizards endemic to the Indonesian island of Sanana. "Varanus obor" is the only melanistic member of the Pacific monitor ("V. indicus") group, and the only species belonging to the subgenus "Euprepiosaurus", which has prominent red-orange markings on its body. Proportions of the body and the construction of scales most closely resemble "V. melinus", which can be found on the islands of Mangole and Taliabu. Most often, "V. obor" occurs in coastal sago palm swamps - a habitat that is underused by other species of the
Sago of raw sago are imported each year into Malaysia to support the keropok lekor industry. In 1805, two captured crew members of the shipwrecked schooner "Betsey" were kept alive until their escape from an undetermined island on a diet of sago. Any starch can be pearled by heating and stirring small aggregates of moist starch, producing partly gelatinized dry kernels which swell but remain intact on boiling. Pearl sago closely resembles pearl tapioca. Both are typically small (about 2 mm diameter) dry, opaque balls. Both may be white (if very pure) or colored naturally grey, brown or black, or artificially