The peach-throated monitor (Varanus jobiensis), also known as the Sepik monitor, is a species of monitor lizard native to New Guinea.
Peach-throated monitor | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Varanidae |
Genus: | Varanus |
Subgenus: | Euprepiosaurus |
Species: | V. jobiensis |
Binomial name | |
Varanus jobiensis | |
Synonyms[4] | |
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
Peach-throated monitors are 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
Peach-throated monitors grow 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
Peach-throated monitors primarily eat insects, and sometimes frogs,[5] but may also take freshwater fish and small mammals.[6]
As food
Peach-throated monitors are hunted for human consumption in New Guinea.[7]
Reproduction
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 honour of American herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt.[8]
Gallery
- Raja Ampat Papua, 2017
- Raja Ampat Papua, 2017
- Raja Ampat Papua, 2017, note the peach coloured throat
- On wall
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.