Peach-throated monitor

The peach-throated monitor (Varanus jobiensis), also known commonly as the Sepik monitor, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to New Guinea.

Peach-throated monitor
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Varanidae
Genus:Varanus
Subgenus:Euprepiosaurus
Species:
V. jobiensis
Binomial name
Varanus jobiensis
Ahl, 1932[3]
Synonyms[4]
  • Varanus indicus jobiensis
    Ahl, 1932
  • Varanus karlschmidti
    Mertens, 1951
  • Varanus jobiensis
    Böhme, 1991
  • Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) jobiensis
    Ziegler et al., 2007

Taxonomy

Varanus jobiensis belongs to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus, which includes species such as the blue-tailed monitor and mangrove monitor, both of which it is sympatric with in much of its range.

It is likely that this species is actually a species complex of multiple different species that have been diverging since the Pliocene, and diverged from the V. indicus species complex 4.7 million years ago.[5]

Distribution

Varanus jobiensis is endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands such as Biak, Salawati, Yapen, Normanby, and Waigeo.[5] It occurs in rainforests at altitudes of 0–900 m (0–2,953 ft).[1]

Description

Varanus jobiensis grows up to 120 centimetres (3.9 ft) in total length (including tail). The colour of the throat is white-yellow to red, to which one of its common names refers.

Diet

Varanus jobiensis primarily eats insects, and sometimes frogs,[5] but may also take freshwater fish and small mammals.[6]

As food

Varanus jobiensis is hunted for human consumption in New Guinea.[7]

Reproduction

Varanus jobiensis is oviparous.[4]

Peach-throated monitor on log in a vivarium

Etymology

The specific name, jobiensis, which is Latin, means "from Jobi". Jobi is the island also known as Yapen, which is the type locality of this species.[4]

The junior synonym, Varanus karlschmidti, was named in honor of American herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt.[8]

Gallery


References

Further reading

  • Ahl E (1932). "Eine neue Eidechse und zwei neue Frösche von der Insel Jobi ". Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 17: 892–899. (Varanus indicus jobiensis, new subspecies, p. 892). (in German).
  • Mertens R (1951). "A New Lizard of the Genus Varanus from New Guinea". Fieldiana Zoology 31 (43): 467–471. (Varanus karlschmidti, new species).
  • Ziegler T, Schmitz A, Koch A, Böhme W (2007). "A review of the subgenus Euprepiosauras of Varanus (Squamata: Varanidae): morphological and molecular phylogeny, distribution and zoogeography, with an identification key for members of the V. indicus and V. prasinus species groups". Zootaxa 1472: 1-28.

External links