Varanus bennetti WEIJOLA, VAHTERA, KOCH, SCHMITZ & KRAUS, 2020
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Varanus bennetti
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| Higher Taxa | Varanidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Bennett’s long-tailed monitor |
| Synonym | Varanus bennetti WEIJOLA, VAHTERA, KOCH, SCHMITZ & KRAUS 2020 Varanus cf. indicus — CROMBIE & PREGILL 1999 Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) bennetti — WEIJOLA & KRAUS 2023 |
| Distribution | Palau archipelago (Koror, Ngeaur and Ngcheangel islands, Ngeriungs and Babeldaob), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM: Yap and Losiep islands), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI: Sarigan Island) Type locality: south of Ngaramasch village, Ngeaur Island, Palau |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: USNM 507504, collected by Ronald Crombie, 31 July 1996. Paratypes: USNM 514125, 521719, Ngeaur Island, Palau. USNM 495369–70, Palau. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Sarigan Island (USNM 212494); Federated States of Micronesia: Losiep Island (USNM 122560), Yap Island (AMNH 00624–25, BMNH 98.5.27.1, SMF 32808–09, USNM 130186, ZMB 17520–22, 7619 and ZMH R-4727); Palau: Koror Island (AMNH 70652–53), Ngcheangel Atoll (USNM 495369). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Varanus bennetti can be distinguished from all other members of Euprepiosaurus by its unique combination of (i) dorsum black and evenly speckled with yellow scales, sometimes arranged in small groups of yellow scales, (ii) tongue dark blue/grey, (iii) venter cream coloured with pale grey cross-bands, (iv) tail exceptionally long (F/SVL mean = 1.76, range = 1.60–1.89), high XY scale counts (148–160), (v) a clear yellow temporal stripe present in about half of the studied specimens, and (vi), in life, peach colouring on the throat (Weijola et al. 2020). |
| Comment | Distribution: see map in Weijola & Kraus 2023: 948 (Fig. 1). |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is a genitive singular patronym in commemoration of the late Dr Daniel Bennett, 1966–2020, and his life-long commitment to the study and conservation of monitor lizards in Africa and Southeast Asia. For an obituary and other biographical notes on Daniel Bennett see Biawak 14 (1-2), Dec. 2020. |
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