| Dumeril's monitor | |
|---|---|
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| Varanus dumerilii in Sofia Zoo | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Empagusia |
| Species: | V. dumerilii |
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus dumerilii | |
| Synonyms [5] | |
| |
Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) [6] is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.
Adult Dumeril's monitors can reach up to 4.5 ft (1.4 m) in total length (including tail) although typical total length is 4 ft (1.2 m).[ citation needed ]
Adult Dumeril's monitors are largely dark brown, with occasional brighter indistinct crossbars. "The major color is a dark varnish black which is interrupted by several yellow crossways bars on the back." The head of juveniles is shiny orange-red or sometimes yellow. This juvenile coloration disappears after only 4–8 weeks. [7]
The long tail is laterally compressed with a keel. [8]
It is at times confused with the sympatric black rough-necked monitor due to the large nuchal scales in both species [9] , which is why Dumeril's monitors are sometimes called brown rough-necked monitors.
The specific name, dumerilii, is in honour of French zoologist André Marie Constant Duméril. [10]
In Thailand, V. dumerilii is known by the common name, túdtū̀ (ตุ๊ดตู่), which is an animal that appeared in children's folk songs. [11]
Varanus dumerilii is a species of monitor lizard within the subgenus Empagusia.
Two subspecies have been historically described:
In 1892, the species V. heteropholis was named by Boulenger on the basis of a taxidermied and possibly tanned specimen owned by Charles Hose, collected from Borneo's Mt. Dulit. The same taxonomic label was attached to two additional specimens from the same locality. In 1942, Mertens listed it instead as V. d. heteropholis, as a subspecies of V. dumerilii. [9]
In 1993, Sprackland classified V. d. heteropholis as a synonym of V. d. dumerilii, after examining specimens including the holotypes of both putative subspecies. Although the appearance of the V. d. heteropholis holotype was considered somewhat strange even when accounting for the alterations caused by the taxidermy process, the traits previously described as unique to V. d. heteropholis were found to fit within the range of variation in V. d. dumerilii, albeit on the extreme ends, such that V. dumerilii has no subspecies. [9]
Dumeril's monitor is found in southern Burma and north of the Isthmus of Kra to Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand, [12] as well as in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, throughout Borneo, Sumatra, Riau, Bangka–Belitung and other smaller islands of Indonesia. [5]
The preferred natural habitat of V. dumerilii is dense evergreen forests with high humidity [13] and mangrove swamps, [14] at altitudes from sea level to 900 m (3,000 ft). [2]
V. dumerilii is a crab specialist; [12] [15] however, it has been observed eating snails, other molluscs, insects, fish, frogs, turtle eggs, birds, and smaller rodents. [14] [16] Little is known overall about this species compared to other monitor lizards. [7]
V. dumerilii is oviparous. [5] Clutch size is 4–23 eggs [2] , with up to 3 clutches a year. [8] Hatchlings have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 8 cm (3.1 in), and a tail slightly longer than SVL. [2]
The species has been successfully bred in captivity, ie, both in zoos and private collections. Due to its demand in the pet trade, and because it is not a nationally protected species within Indonesia, Indonesia has exported up to 1,060 individuals per year between 2010 and 2018. The EU has prohibited the import of wild caught specimens since 1997. [8] The species has been regularly collected for the pet trade since around 1976. [9]
Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus Varanus, the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recognized.
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology. His son Auguste Duméril was also a zoologist, and the author citation Duméril is used for both André and his son.
The Asian water monitor is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is widely considered to be the second-largest lizard species, after the Komodo dragon. It is distributed from eastern and northeastern India and Bangladesh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, through southern China and Hainan Island in the east to mainland Southeast Asia and the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Lombok, the Riau Archipelago, Sulawesi. It is one of the most widespread monitor lizards.
The black tree monitor or Beccari's monitor is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is a relatively small member of the family, growing to about 90–120 cm (35–47 in) in total length. V. beccarii is endemic to the Aru Islands off New Guinea, living in an arboreal habitat. The skin color of adults is completely black, to which one common name refers.
The mangrove monitor, mangrove goanna, or Western Pacific monitor lizard is a member of the monitor lizard family with a large distribution from northern Australia and New Guinea to the Moluccas and Solomon Islands. It grows to lengths of 3.5 to 4 ft. It is also known as wbl yb in the Kalam language of Papua New Guinea.
The emerald tree monitor or green tree monitor, is a small to medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. It is known for its unusual coloration, which consists of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark, transversedorsal banding. This coloration helps camouflage it in its arboreal habitat. Its color also makes the emerald tree monitor highly prized in both the pet trade and zoos alike.
The yellow-spotted monitor, also known as the Argus monitor, is a monitor lizard found in northern and western regions of Australia and southern New Guinea.
The spiny-tailed monitor, also known as the Australian spiny-tailed monitor, the ridge-tailed monitor the Ackie dwarf monitor, and colloquially simply ackie monitor, is an Australian species of lizard belonging to the genus of monitor lizards (Varanus).
The rock monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, where, on average it is the largest lizard found on the continent. It is called leguaan or likkewaan in some areas.
The peacock monitor, also known commonly as Auffenberg's monitor, is a species of small monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species, which belongs to the subgenus Odatria, is endemic to Rote Island, Indonesia.
The black rough-necked monitor is a species of monitor lizard found in Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. It is also found in Indonesia on Sumatra and islands of the Riau Archipelago It is sometimes known simply as the roughneck monitor. In Thailand is called h̄èā cĥāng.
The blue-tailed monitor, blue-tailed tree monitor or Kalabeck's monitor, is a monitor lizard of the Varanidae family. It belongs to the V. doreanus group of the subgenus Euprepiosaurus.
Varanus keithhornei, commonly known as the canopy goanna, Keith Horne's monitor, blue-nosed tree monitor, or Nesbit River monitor, is a species of monitor lizards native to northeast Australia. It is a member of the Varanus prasinus species group.
Finsch's monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to New Guinea and Australia.
Varanus kordensis, the Biak tree monitor, is a member of the Varanidae family found on Biak Island in Indonesia. It is also known as the Kordo tree monitor. Long considered a subspecies of the emerald tree monitor, most authorities now treat it as a separate species.
The marbled water monitor, also known commonly as the Philippine water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.
Varanus zugorum, also known commonly as the silver monitor or Zugs' monitor, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to the island of Halmahera in the Moluccas, in Indonesia.
Varanus telenesetes, the mysterious tree monitor, is an enigmatic monitor lizard that may actually represent a colour faded specimen of the green tree monitor. The species was described based on a single specimen supposedly collected on Rossel Island in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. However, later searches of this island have failed to turn up any specimens and native islanders deny ever seeing it. It is now believed that the original collection data was in error and that the species occurs on some other, currently unknown, island east of New Guinea.
Varanus spinulosus, the Solomon Island spiny monitor, Isabel monitor, or spiny-neck monitor, is a species of monitor lizard. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago and is also known from Santa Isabel Island, San Jorge Island and Bourgainville Island.
Bogert's monitor is a species of tree-dwelling monitor lizard. The species is native to Papua New Guinea.
