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Varanus prasinus (SCHLEGEL, 1839)

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Higher TaxaVaranidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Emerald Monitor
G: Smaragdwaran 
SynonymMonitor viridis GRAY 1831: 26 (nomen dubium fide MERTENS 1963)
Monitor prasinus SCHLEGEL 1839: 78
Varanus prasinus — BLEEKER 1856
Monitor beccarii DORIA 1874: 331
Varanus prasinus — BOULENGER 1885: 321
Varanus kordensis — BOULENGER 1885: 322
Varanus kordensis — BOULENGER 1895: 28
Varanus prasinus — DE ROOIJ 1915: 151
Varanus kordensis — DE ROOIJ 1915: 152
Varanus prasinus prasinus — MERTENS 1942
Varanus prasinus kordensis — MERTENS 1942
Varanus prasinus — SPRACKLAND 1991
Varanus prasinus — DE LISLE 1996: 132
Varanus prasinus — COGGER 2000: 371
Varanus kordensis — BÖHME 2002
Varanus kordensis — JACOBS 2003
Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) prasinus — ZIEGLER et al. 2007
Varanus (Hapturosaurus) prasinus — BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016: 50 
DistributionAustralia (Queensland) ?, Papua New Guinea

Type locality: Fort Du Bus and Oeroe-Langoeroe Bay (as W coast of New Guinea), Irian Jaya, Indonesia.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: RMNH 4812
Syntypes: MSNG = MCG C. E. 28723, other syntypes not found fide COGGER 1983, from Wokam (as Wokan), Aru Ils., Indonesia [Monitor beccarii] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (Hapturosaurus): Hapturosaurus is a monophyletic (Ast 2001; Ziegler et al. 2007b) group of medium-sized (Collar et al. 2011), tree monitor lizards from New Guinea and northern Australia which is uniquely defined by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) A long and prehensile tail which is round in cross section together with (2) an elongated body, head, neck, limbs, and digits with strong claws in relation with a highly arboreal live style (Greene 1986; Mendyk & Horn 2011); (3) a partly colourful appearance of bright green, blue or yellow pigmentation in combination with a varying degree of black (including entirely melanistic taxa, such as beccarii and bogerti) often forming a dorsal pattern of more or less distinctive chevrons (Sprackland 1991; Jacobs 2008); (4) elongated dorsal scales separated by numerous rows of tiny granules and with a single distinctly enlarged posterior granulum; in addition, most body scales are roof-shaped and strongly keeled (this study, see Fig. 28); (5) differentiated head scales comprising enlarged supraocular scales and up to three rows of enlarged scales spanning the interorbital region (Koch et al. 2014); (6) lungs with an open intrapulmonary bronchus (Becker et al.1989); and (7) copulatory organs with bilaterally built hemipenial and hemiclitorial paryphasmata (Branch 1982; Böhme 1988; Ziegler & Böhme 1997). Furthermore, Conrad et al. (2011) listed five additional diagnostic morphological synapomorphies (next to 93 molecular synapomorphies; see Ast 2001) for the tree monitors. These are: (1) Palatine longer than wide; (2) parallel-sided (not expanded or tapered) anterior ends of the anterolateral processes of the frontal; (3) presence of a distinct, raised, posterior margin of the anterior narial fossa on the anterodorsal margin of the maxilla; (4) absence of a dorsal keel on the supraoccipital; and (5) crista interfenestralis developed posterolaterally and hides the occipital recess in lateral view (see also part two about the skull in Mertens’ [1942a] monograph). 
CommentSynonym partly after COGGER 1983 and MERTENS 1963. V. kordensis has been previously synonymzed with V. prasinus. However, JACOBS (2002) provides evidence that prasinus and kordensis are different species. At least some populations of Varanus prasinus and V. bogerti are paraphyletic (Weijola et al. 2019), and may require taxonomic revision.

Distribution: records from Queensland are not confirmed (Koch & Eidenmüller 2019).

Type species: Varanus prasinus is the type species of the subgenus Hapturosaurus Bucklitsch et al. 2016. 
EtymologyNamed after Greek “prasinos” = green. 
References
  • Akeret, Beat 2014. Geschichtliches zur Haltung von Waranen in Deutschland und der Schweiz. Terraria-Elaphe 2014 (6): 14-21 - get paper here
  • Böhme, W. & Koch, A. 2010. On the type selection and re-typification of two monitor lizard taxa (Squamata: Varanidae): Monitor bivittatus celebensis Schlegel, 1844 and Monitor kordensis Meyer, 1874; with some comments and corrections on other name-bearing type specimens. Zootaxa 2440: 60–68 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1895. On a collection of reptiles and batrachians from Ferguson Island, D'Entrecasteaux group British New Guinea. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) 16: 28-32 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1885. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 2, Second edition. London, xiii+497 pp. - get paper here
  • BUCKLITSCH, YANNICK; WOLFGANG BÖHME, ANDRÉ KOCH 2016. Scale Morphology and Micro-Structure of Monitor Lizards (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus spp.) and their Allies: Implications for Systematics, Ecology, and Conservation. . Zootaxa 4153 (1): 001–192 - get paper here
  • Burt, Charles E.; Burt, May Danheim 1932. Herpetological results of the Whitney South Sea Expedition. VI. Pacific island amphibians and reptiles in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 63 (5): 461-597 - get paper here
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Cooper, Taylor; Amanda Liew, Gabriel Andrle, Elisabeth Cafritz, Hannah Dallas, Trent Niesen, Emily Slater, Joseph Stockert, Taylor Vold, Michael Young & Joseph Mendelson 2019. Latency in Problem Solving as Evidence for Learning in Varanid and Helodermatid Lizards, with Comments on Foraging Techniques. Copeia 107 (1): 78-84 - get paper here
  • Czechura, G. V. 1980. The emerald monitor Varanus prasinus (Schlegel): an addition to the Australian mainland herpetofauna. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 20: 103-109 - get paper here
  • DAVIS, ADAM C. 2014. Successful Repair of an Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus Schlegel, 1839) Egg at Bristol Zoo Gardens. Biawak 8 (1): 39 - get paper here
  • de Rooij, N. de 1915. The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. I. Lacertilia, Chelonia, Emydosauria. Leiden (E. J. Brill), xiv + 384 pp. - get paper here
  • De Vis, C. W. 1887. On new or rare vertebrates from the Herbert River, North Queensland. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales (2) 1 (IV): 1129-1137 - get paper here
  • Doria, G. 1875. Enumerazione dei rettili raccolti dal Dott. O. Beccari in Amboina alle Isole Aru ed alle Isole Kei durante gli anni 1872-73. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova 6: 325-357 [1874] - get paper here
  • Eidenmüller, B. & Wicker, R. 2005. Eine weitere neue Waranart aus dem Varanus prasinus-Komplex von der Insel Misol, Indonesien. Sauria 27 (1): 3-8 - get paper here
  • Eidenmüller, Bernd; André Koch, Johannes Köhler, Rudolf Wicker 2017. New findings on the relationships among New Guinea tree monitor lizards of the Varanus prasinus (SCHLEGEL, 1839) complex (Squamata: Sauria: Varanidae). Herpetozoa 30 (1/2): 9 - 20 - get paper here
  • FRÝDLOVÁ, PETRA and DANIEL FRYNTA 2010. A test of Rensch’s rule in varanid lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100: 293–306 - get paper here
  • Gray, J. E. 1831. A synopsis of the species of Class Reptilia. In: Griffith, E & E. Pidgeon: The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organisation by the Baron Cuvier with additional descriptions of all the species hither named, and of many before noticed [V Whittaker, Treacher and Co., London: 481 + 110 pp. [1830] - get paper here
  • Hörenberg, Thomas & André Koch 2013. Die Zwergwarane der Untergattung Odatria Gray, 1838. Draco 13 (53): 6-19 - get paper here
  • Iannucci, Alessio; Marie Altmanová, Claudio Ciofi, Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, Massimo Milan, Jorge Claudio Pereira, James Pether, Ivan Rehák, Michail Rovatsos, Roscoe Stanyon, Petr Velenský, Petr Ráb, Lukáš Kratochvíl & Martina Johnson Pokorná 2019. Conserved sex chromosomes and karyotype evolution in monitor lizards (Varanidae). Heredity 123, 215–227 - get paper here
  • Jacobs, H. J. and A. Koch 2021. On the Discovery and Scientific Description of the Emerald Tree Monitor, Varanus prasinus (Schlegel, 1839). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 15(7):61–76 - get paper here
  • Jacobs, H.J. 2002. Zur morphologischen Variabilität der nominellen Smaragdwaran-Taxa Varanus prasinus (H. SCHLEGEL 1939) und V. kordensis (A.B. MEYER 1874), mit Bemerkungen zur Erstzucht des letzteren. Herpetofauna 24 (137): 21-34 - get paper here
  • Jacobs, H.J. 2003. A further new emerald tree monitor lizard of the Varanus prasinus species group from Waigeo, West Irian (Squamata: Sauria: Varanidae). Salamandra 39 (2): 65-74 - get paper here
  • Jacobs, H.J. 2008. Zucht von Varanus reisingeri EIDENMÜLLER & WICKER, 2005 mit Vergleich der jugendkleider der V. prasinus-Gruppe und Bemerkungen zu deren Taxonomie. Sauria 30 (1): 5-12 - get paper here
  • Koch A, Ziegler T, Böhme W, Arida E, Auliya M. 2013. Pressing Problems: Distribution, Threats, and Conservation Status of the Monitor Lizards (Varanidae: Varanus spp.) of Southeast Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Herp. Cons. Biol. 8 (Monograph 3): 1 − 62. - get paper here
  • Koch, Andre; Ernst, Nicole; Eidenmuller, Bernd; Kraus, Fred 2014. New data on the rare Varanus bogerti Mertens, 1950 and V. telenesetes Sprackland, 1991 (Squamata: Varanidae), two endemic monitor lizard taxa from island groups off southeastern New Guinea. The Herpetological Journal 24 (2): 111-122 - get paper here
  • KOCH, ANDRÉ & BERND EIDENMÜLLER 2019. Is the New Guinea Emerald Tree Monitor Lizard (Varanus prasinus) Native to Mainland Australia? Biawak 13 (1): 32–42
  • Lisle, H.F. de 1996. Natural History of Monitor Lizards. Krieger, Malabar (Florida)
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  • McCurry MR, Mahony M, Clausen PD, Quayle MR, Walmsley CW, Jessop TS, et al. 2015. The Relationship between Cranial Structure, Biomechanical Performance and Ecological Diversity in Varanoid Lizards. PLoS One 10 (6): e0130625. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130625 - get paper here
  • MENDYK, ROBERT W. 2015. An Annotated Bibliography of the Captive Husbandry, Breeding, Behavior, Veterinary Management and Trade of Tree Monitor Lizards (Varanus prasinus Complex). Biawak 9 (2): 58 - get paper here
  • Mertens, R. 1942. Die Familie der Warane (Varanidae), 3. Teil: Taxonomie. Abh. Senckenb. naturf. Ges., 466: 235-391
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  • Mundhenk, K. 2008. Two Observations of Captured Green Tree Monitors (Varanus prasinus) in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. Biawak 2 (3): 119-120 - get paper here
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  • Pianka, Eric R. 2012. Can humans share spaceship earth? Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 6 (1): 1-24 - get paper here
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  • Schlegel, H. 1839. Abbildungen neuer oder unvollständig bekannter Amphibien, nach der Natur oder dem Leben entworfen und mit einem erläuternden Texte begleitet. Arne and Co., Düsseldorf, xiv + 141 pp. - get paper here
  • Shuter, A. 2014. A Novel Underwater Foraging Behavior Observed in Varanus prasinus at the wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Biawak 8 (2): 61 - get paper here
  • Sprackland, R. G. 1991. Taxonomic review of the Varanus prasinus group with descriptions of two new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 30 (3): 561-576. - get paper here
  • Sprackland, R. G. 1995. The Emerald monitor [Varanus prasinus]. Reptilian 4 (1): 43-46 - get paper here
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  • Weijola, Valter; Varpu Vahtera, Christer Lindqvist, Fred Kraus 2019. A molecular phylogeny for the Pacific monitor lizards (Varanus subgenus Euprepiosaurus) reveals a recent and rapid radiation with high levels of cryptic diversity. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186 (4): 1053–1066 - get paper here
  • Whittier, J.M.; Moeller, D.R. 1993. Varanus prasinus (the Emerald Goanna) on Moa Island, Torres Strait, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34: 130. - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
  • Ziegler, T., Schmitz, A., Koch, A. & W. Böhme 2007. A review of the subgenus Euprepiosaurus of Varanus (Squamata: Varanidae): morphological and molecular phylogeny, distribution and zoogeography, with an identification key for the members of the V. indicus and the V. prasinus species groups. Zootaxa 1472: 1-28 - get paper here
  • Ziegler, Thomas & Böhme, Wolfgang 1996. Zur Hemiclitoris der squamaten Reptilien: Auswirkungen auf einige Methoden der Geschlechtsunterscheidung. Herpetofauna 18 (101): 11-19 - get paper here
  • ZIEGLER, THOMAS; ANNA RAUHAUS & IRI GILL 2016. A Preliminary Review of Monitor Lizards in Zoological Gardens. Biawak 10 (1): 26 - get paper here
 
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