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Varanus timorensis (GRAY, 1831)

IUCN Red List - Varanus timorensis - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaVaranidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesVaranus timorensis timorensis (GRAY 1831)
Varanus timorensis auffenbergi SPRACKLAND 1999
Varanus timorensis subunicolor PATSCHKE et al. 2025 
Common NamesE: Spotted Tree Monitor
G: Auffenbergs Waran
E: Auffenberg’s Monitor, Pin-spot monitor, Peacock monitor [auffenbergi] 
SynonymMonitor timorensis GRAY 1831: 26
Tup[inambis] viridomaculatus GRAY 1831: 26 (nomen nudum)
Varanus timoriensis — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1836: 473 (emend. pro V. timorensis)
Monitor timoriensis — SCHLEGEL 1839: 74
Monitor timoriensis — SCHLEGEL 1844: 41
Varanus timerensis — MARTENS 1876 (in error)
Varanus timorensis — BOULENGER 1885: 323
Varanus timorensis — DE ROOIJ 1915: 152
Varanus timorensis timorensis — MERTENS 1937
Varanus timorensis timorensis — BRANCH 1982
Varanus timorensis timorensis — DE LISLE 1996: 139
Varanus timorensis — AST 2001
Varanus timorensis — BÖHME 2003
Varanus timorensis — DE LISLE 2009
Varanus (Odatria) timorensis — KOCH et al. 2013
Varanus (Odatria) timorensis — BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016: 50

Varanus timorensis auffenbergi SPRACKLAND 1999
Varanus auffenbergi SPRACKLAND 1999: 22
Varanus auffenbergi — AST 2001
Varanus (Odatria) auffenbergi — WESIAK 2008
Varanus (Odatria) auffenbergi — KOCH et al. 2013
Varanus (Odatria) auffenbergi — BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016
Varanus (Odatria) timorensis auffenbergi — PATSCHKE et al. 2025

Varanus (Odatria) timorensis subunicolor PATSCHKE et al. 2025 
DistributionTimor (Indonesia), S New Guinea, Timor-Leste

Type locality: Timor, Indonesia

auffenbergi: Indonesia (Roti Island); Type locality: Roti Island, Indonesia

subunicolor: Indonesia (Ndao Island); Type locality: Ndao Island, Timor archipelago, Indonesia  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: MNHN-RA 8278 and MNHN-RA 2007.2391 (formerly MNHN-RA 8278A) (fide SPRACKLAND 1999), not found fide COGGER 1983
Holotype: AM R10207, from Groote Eylandt, N. T. [similis]
Holotype: AMNH 143812 (given as 143817 in Patschke et al. 2025), adult female [auffenbergi]
Holotype. ZFMK 91230 (Fig.14), adult female [subunicolor] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 6542 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSynonymy partly after COGGER 1983. Varanus timorensis similis is now considered as a subspecies of V. scalaris (fide COGGER 2000). AST (2001) indicated that this species may be synonymous to V. timorensis.

Illustration (auffenbergi): Akeret (2003).

Abundance (auffenbergi): only known from the type locality (Meiri et al. 2017).

NCBI taxonID: 2756177 [auffenbergi]

RDB speciesID: 19895 [auffenbergi] 
References
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