| Higher Taxa | Varanidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Turquoise Monitor |
| Synonym | Varanus caerulivirens ZIEGLER, BÖHME & PHILIPP 1999: 46
Varanus caerulivirens — AST 2001
Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) caerulivirens — ZIEGLER et al. 2007
Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) caerulivirens — KOCH et al. 2013
Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) caerulivirens — BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016: 50
Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) caerulivirens — WEIJOLA & KRAUS 2023 |
| Distribution | Indonesia (Halmahera, Moluccas, incl. Morotai, Bacan, Obi)
Type locality: Halmahera, Moluccas, Indonesia.
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| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: ZFMK 68874, paratypes ZFMK 68577, SMF 32805. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A representative of the V. indicus group which can be distinguished from V. doreanus, V. finschi, V. indicus, V. jobiensis, V. melinus, V. spinulosus, and V. yuwonoi by the following character combination: (1) a light blue to turquoise tinge of the head, neck, body, dorsum, limb and tail colouration; (2) a high midbody scale count (170-185), (3) a pink-coloured, light tongue which may have dark pigment only on its tips and/or at their bifurcation point; (4) differentiated paryphasmata only on one side of the sperm groove of the hemipenis and hemiclitoris, respectively. Apart from the colouration differences, V. caerulivirens sp. n. can be distinguished from V. indicus mainly by the lack of a broadly dark pigmented tongue, and by its particularly high scale counts (compare BÖHME & al. 1994), represented by an average S value (for explanation see table 1) of 177 (versus 129 in V. indicus), and an average XY value (cf. table 1) of 186 (versus 131 in V. indicus). These differences in colour pattern, tongue colouration and S and XY value are also valid in regard to the synonyms of V. indicus listed in BÖHME & al. (1994): Monitor chlorostigma GRAY, 1831: type locality Rawack, north of Waigeu; Varanus tsukamotoi KISHIDA, 1929: type locality Saipan, Carolines; and v. indicus rouxi MERTENS, 1926: type locality Durdjela, Wammer, Aru Islands. [Reinvestigation of the rouxi type series revealed that the third paratype - SMF 11593, from Dobo, Aru Islands, coll. H. MERTON 1908- is actually a female of V. doreanus (marbled throat, mainly light tongue, high S value - according to MERTENS 1926: 168 -, paryphasman arrangement on the hemiclitores)]. Varanus caerulivirens sp. n. can be distinguished - apart from its colour pattern - by scalation characters from V. melinus (e. S value: 124-133, BÖHME & ZIEGLER 1997; ZIEGLER & BÖHME in press) and from V. spinulosus (e. g., S value: ca. 210, MERTENS 1942; SPRACKLAND 1994); by the pattern of paryphasmata arrangement on the hemipenis and hemiclitoris from V. doreanus, V. finschi, V. jobiensis, and V. yuwonoi which all have paryphasmata on both sides of the sulcal groove (ZIEGLER & BÖHME 1997, in press; ZIEGLER & al. 1999). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after the Latin adjective "caeruleus", -a, -urn (poetic "caerulus") = blue, and from the gerund "virens" = becoming green. It refers to the diagnostic skyblue to turquoise colouration of head, neck, limbs and distal parts of tail. |
| References |
- Ast, Jennifer C. 2001. Mitochondrial DNA Evidence and Evolution in Varanoidea (Squamata). Cladistics 17 (3): 211-226 [erratum in 18 (1):125] - get paper here
- Böhme, Wolfgang 2014. Herpetology in Bonn. Mertensiella 21. vi + 256 pp. - get paper here
- Böhme,W. 2003. Checklist of the living monitor lizards of the world (family Varanidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen 341: 6-43 - 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
- 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
- Koch A, Arida E, Schmitz A, Böhme W, Ziegler T. 2009. Refining the polytypic species concept of mangrove monitors (Squamata: Varanus indicus group): a new cryptic species from the Talaud Islands, Indonesia, reveals the underestimated diversity of Indo-Australian monitor lizards. Australian Journal of Zoology 57(1): 29-40 - 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, Z.; Philipp, K. & Ziegler, T. 2010. The Monitor Man: A Story of Stunning Discoveries and Charismatic Creatures. Biawak 4 (4): 132-152 - get paper here
- Lisle, H. de 2007. Varanus caerulivirens (Turquoise Monitor). Reprodcution. Biawak 1 (1): 39-40 - get paper here
- PHILIPP, K. M., ZIEGLER, T. & W. BÖHME 1999. Der Türkiswaran Varanus caerulivirens ZIEGLER, BÖHME & PHILIPP, 1999. Herpetofauna 21 (122): 10-11 - get paper here
- Philipp,K.M.; Ziegler, T. & Böhme, W. 2007. Preliminary Investigations of the Natural Diet of Six Monitor Lizard Species of the Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) indicus Group. Mertensiella 16: 336-345
- Pianka, E. R. and D. R. King, eds. 2004. Varanoid Lizards of the World. Indiana University Press, 599 pp - get paper here
- Setiadi, M. I. & A. Hamidy, 2006. Jenis-Jenis Herpetofauna di Pulau Halmahera. Kerjasama antara Pusat Studi Biodiversitas dan Konservasi Universitas Indonesia dan Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Puslit Biologi Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia. - get paper here
- Weijola, V.S.A. 2010. Geographical Distribution and Habitat Use of Monitor Lizards of the North Moluccas. Biawak 4 (1): 7-23 - get paper here
- Weijola, Valter 2017. PHYLOGENY AND TAXONOMY OF THE PACIFIC MONITOR LIZARDS (SQUAMATA: VARANUS: EUPREPIOSAURUS). ANNALES UNIVERSITATIS TURKUENSIS 334 - get paper here
- Weijola, Valter & Fred Kraus 2023. Two new species of monitor lizards (Squamata: Varanus) endemic to the Louisiade and Tanimbar Archipelagos with a key to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus. JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY 57 (13–16): 947–975
- 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, T., W. Böhme & K. M. Philipp 1999. Varanus caerulivirens sp. n., a new monitor lizard of the V. indicus group from Halmahera, Moluccas, Indonesia (Squamata: Sauria: Varanidae). Herpetozoa 12 (1-2): 45-56 - 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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