| Kings' monitor | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Odatria |
| Species: | V. kingorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus kingorum | |
Kings' monitor (Varanus kingorum), also known commonly as Kings' goanna, Kings' rock monitor and pygmy rock monitor, is a small species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to Australia.
Varanus kingorum is endemic to the northwestern part of the Northern Territory, and the northeastern part of Western Australia.
The species description was published in 1980, the result of a revision of Western and Central Australian varanid taxa. [3]
Kings' monitor belongs to the subgenus Odatria [4] along with the peacock monitor and the Pilbara monitor. Comparatively little is known about this species. [5]
The holotype was collected beneath rocks in 1978 at Timber Creek in the Northern Territory by Max King. The specific name, kingorum (genitive plural), is in honor of Canadian-born Australian ecologist Richard Dennis King (1942–2002) and Australian geneticist Max King (born 1946), [6] honouring their contributions to the understanding of Australia varanids. [3]
Kings' goanna inhabits rocky outcrops of the Kimberley region and adjacent areas. [7] It is usually found in areas with rock exfoliations or slopes with open bushland and shrubs, where boulders and outcrops provide its required microhabitat. [8] V. kingorum is also found in grasslands. [9]
Varanus kingorum is one of the smallest species of the genus, reaching a total length (including tail) of up to 40 cm (16 in). [10] It is reddish brown in colour with a black reticulum in the juvenile that breaks down with age to form dark flecks. [5] Small blackish spots appear at most parts of the dark upper body, and at the throat and near the vent against the creamy colour of the underparts. [3]
Kings' monitor retreats into holes, rock fissures, and small crevices when it is approached, being extremely shy. [8]
This species has a long tail that is sometimes used to prod prey out of tight, inaccessible crevices. Such is a behaviour demonstrated by both adults and hatchlings alike, and as such is likely instinctual rather than learned. [11]
Incubation period of eggs ranges from 89 to 126 days at a temperature of 29 +/- 2 °C. [11]
Varanus kingorum appear to feed exclusively on insects, including locusts, termites, and insect eggs. [5]
Monitor lizards are large lizards in the genus Varanus. 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.
A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus Varanus found in Australia and Southeast Asia.
The sand goanna is a species of large Australian monitor lizard, also known as Gould's monitor, sand monitor, or racehorse goanna.
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. Populations from the Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, and Mariana Islands formerly classified in V. indicus are now considered to comprise two distinct species. It grows to lengths of 3.5 to 4 ft.
The short-tailed pygmy monitor is the second smallest living monitor lizard in the world with a maximum length of 25 cm.
Varanus timorensis, the Timor monitor or spotted tree monitor, is a species of small monitor lizards native to the island of Timor and some adjacent islands.
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 or Ackie's dwarf monitor, is an Australian species of lizard belonging to the genus of monitor lizards (Varanus).
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 Kimberley rock monitor is a medium-sized species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to Northern Australia. Also known as Glauert's monitor or the Kakadu sand goanna, it belongs to the subgenus Odatria.
The Pilbara monitor, also known commonly as Bush's monitor, Bush's pygmy monitor, and the Pilbara mulga goanna, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Rosenberg's monitor is an Australian species of varanid reptile found in southern regions of the continent. They are large and fast predators with rugged bodies and long tails, having a combined length up to 1.5 metres, that will consume any smaller animal that is pursued and captured or found while foraging. They occur in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, where it may be rare or locally common, and more frequently observed in Western Australia, where it is sometimes abundant.
The black-spotted ridge-tailed monitor, also called commonly the black-spotted spiny-tailed monitor, the lemon-throated monitor, the northern ridge-tailed monitor, Whites monitor, and the yellow-throated monitor, is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to Australia's tropical Northern Territory. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is considered common and not threatened. It was first described in 1987. It is also known as White's dwarf goanna.
The black-palmed rock monitor is a member of the Varanidae family found in Australia. Also known as the twilight monitor or the long-tailed rock monitor, it is a member of the subgenus Odatria, and is found in the northern part of Australia in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, as well as Queensland. Specifically, its distribution extends from Mount Isa in the east to the Kimberleys in the west. Its habitat is areas of rock escarpment, and large populations may be found in small areas.
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.
The rusty desert monitor is a species of small monitor lizards native to Australia. It is also known as the pygmy desert monitor. The monitor lizard belongs to the subgenus Odatria along with the pygmy mulga monitor. This monitor lizard is oviparous as with other monitor lizards.
Mitchell's water monitor is a semiaquatic species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to Australia.
The Dampier Peninsula monitor or Dampier Peninsula goanna, described in 2014, is the smallest known species of monitor lizard, growing up to 16.3 grams with a length of almost 23 cm and a SVL of 116 mm. It is believed to live only on the Dampier Peninsula of the Kimberley region north of Broome and Derby in Western Australia. It is highly active, making it difficult to photograph in the wild. It has short legs, an elongate body, a reddish-brown back with widely scattered black spots and "a ridged, circular and short prehensile tail."
"sparnos is Greek for 'rare' or 'scarce' in reference to this species' isolation and small range on the Dampier Peninsula. Latinised to sparnus, and used as an adjective".
Storr's monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Pilbara rock monitor is a small member of the family Varanidae endemic to the Chichester Range in North West Australia.
