| Pilbara rock monitor | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Odatria |
| Species: | V. pilbarensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus pilbarensis | |
The Pilbara rock monitor (Varanus pilbarensis) is a small member of the family Varanidae endemic to the Chichester Range in North West Australia.
The population was described in 1980 by Glenn Storr, selecting a specimen collected in 1971 by J. C. Wombey at the Chichester gorge as the holotype of a new species. [3]
A population to the south was identified as a sister species, and a new description Varanus hamersleyensis was published in 2014. The characteristics of this species, which originally included several specimens to the south of the Fortescue River, were redefined to distinguish it from those in the Hamersley Range. [4]
A species of Varanus , carnivorous reptiles, that is predominately reddish in colour and favours rocky habitat. Their size is relatively small, with a total length not exceeding 470 millimetres. Varanus pilbarensis tails are up to twice the length of the snout to vent measurement, rounded and with strong band markings along their length, and display black and cream stripes toward their end. An arrangement of spiny and comb-like scales near the tail base distinguishes this species from its near relations, as does the high position of the nostrils on the snout. The legs have patches of black and cream, the feet bear short, thick and strongly curved claws. [5] The upper surfaces of their loose skin has series of black ringed light grey eye-like patterns in the scales, at the back, neck and upper parts of the limbs. [4]
They are restricted to the Pilbara region in the northwest of Australia. A similar species Varanus kingorum occurs to the north, in the Kimberley region, in a non-overlapping distribution range. [5] Varanus pilbarensis occurs at the Chichester Range in the Pilbara region, another species, Varanus hamersleyensis, is named for its range south of the Fortescue River basin at the Hamersley Range; the latter is darker and marking less obvious than this species. Like other rock dwelling varanids in the Pilbara region, one of around ten species in the herpetological "hotspot", the population has become geographically isolated and diverged as a distinguishable genetic lineage. [4]
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The sand goanna is a species of large Australian monitor lizard, also known as Gould's monitor, sand monitor, or racehorse goanna.
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 rock monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Central, East, and southern Africa. It is the second-longest lizard found on the continent, and the heaviest-bodied; locally, it is called leguaan or likkewaan.
Mertens' water monitor, also called commonly Mertens's water monitor, and often misspelled Mertin's water monitor, is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to northern Australia, and is a wide-ranging, actively foraging, opportunistic predator of aquatic and riparian habitats. It is named after German herpetologist Robert Mertens.
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-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 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.
Kings' monitor, 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.
The Rennell Island monitor is a species of monitor lizards found in the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is also known as the Hakoi Monitor. It belongs to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus along with the canopy goanna, the peach-throated monitor, Kalabeck's monitor, and others.
The Palawan water monitor is a quite large species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.
Varanus marathonensis, the Samos dragon, is an extinct species of monitor lizard from the middle to late Miocene of Greece and Spain, known from several specimens. A specimen consisting of a partial skull and several vertebrae was named Varanus amnhophilis in 2012 and placed in its own subgenus, Varaneades, but a 2018 study found it to be a junior synonym of Varanus marathonensis. Comparisons with other species of monitor lizards put its size between 60 and 80 cm in length. The fossil was found in the Turolian-age Mytilini Formation on the island of Samos and is currently housed in the American Museum of Natural History.
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.
The Southern Pilbara rock goanna, also known as the Hamersley Range rock monitor, is a dwarf member of the family Varanidae.
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".
Acacia hamersleyensis, also known as Karijini wattle or Hamersley Range wattle, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia.
Storr's monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Pilbara shrublands is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion in Western Australia. It is coterminous with the Pilbara IBRA region. For other definitions and uses of "Pilbara region" see Pilbara.
