Varanus phosphoros ZOZAYA, READ, MACOR, PAVÓN-VÁZQUEZ, GALE, WRIGHT & BROADY, 2026
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Varanus phosphoros?
Varanus phosphoros
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| Higher Taxa | Varanidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Yellow-headed rock monitor |
| Synonym | Varanus phosphoros ZOZAYA, READ, MACOR, PAVÓN-VÁZQUEZ, GALE, WRIGHT & BROADY 2026: 17 |
| Distribution | Australia (Queensland) Type locality: Mount Carbine, Queensland (16.5290°S, 145.1422°E) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: QM J99225 (field no. SMZ3491), collected 14 July 2023 by W.J. Read, S.M. Zozaya, and S.A. Macor. Paratypes: QM J99226 (field no. SMZ3492), collection details as for holotype; QM J99227 (field no. SMZ3495), Isabella Falls, Queensland (15.3021°S, 145.0040°E), collected 15 July 2023 by W.J. Read, S.M. Zozaya, and S.A. Macor. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Distinguished from all Varanus by the combination of: small body size (SVL ≤168 mm; total length ≤478 mm); slender build; head and body moderately dorsoventrally depressed; tail moderately long (184%–196% of SVL), thin, and circular in cross-section midway along its length; scales on the supraorbital semicircles significantly smaller than, and sharply delineated from, interocular scales; midbody scale rows 110–128; paracloacal spurs in males bluntly pointed, not terminating in an attenuated spine, and similar in size or slightly enlarged compared with adjacent scales; dorsal and lateral scales on tail bluntly keeled, not terminating in a raised, sharp, posterior point; plantar scales and subdigital lamellae hemispherical and darkly pigmented to varying degrees; granules bordering primary midbody dorsal scales extend ≥50% to anterior scale margin; in life, head flushed with bright yellow, yellow–green, or off-white extending onto pale areas and ocelli of the nape; well-defined pale ocelli each with a distinct dark central spot or blotch present across the nape, dorsum, and dorsal surfaces of limbs, creating pale rings one to two scales wide; ocelli yellowish on the nape and forelimbs, reddish along the midline of the dorsum, fading to off-white on the flanks and hindlimbs; dorsal and lateral surfaces of tail patterned with alternating dark and light transverse bands and blotches anteriorly, fading to patternless grey–brown posteriorly. (Zozaya et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about less than half a page) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
| Comment | Distribution: see map in Zozaya et al. 2026: Fig. 1. |
| Etymology | Named after Greek φῶς (phōs; meaning ‘light’) and φέρω (phérō; meaning ‘to bear’ or ‘carry’). It refers to the bright yellowish spots on the dorsal surface of the head in life, each framed in black as if carr |
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