Varanus yuwonoi (lat.) - a species of lizards from the family of monitor lizards .
| Varanus yuwonoi | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Varanus yuwonoi Harvey and Barker, 1998 |
Content
Description
Appearance
Pretty big slim monitor lizard. Animals of this species can reach a total length of approximately 150 cm. The body is slender, covered with small keeled scales. Around the middle of the body are 174 rows of scales. The tail is laterally compressed; it exceeds the length of the body from the tip of the muzzle to the opening of the cloaca by approximately 1.6 times. The tail scales do not form a ring; the scales on the underside of the tail are larger. The muzzle is sharp, slightly flattened at the end and slightly convex above the nostrils. Small nostrils are rounded, located closer to the tip of the snout. The infraorbital scutes are enlarged, smooth. The eye and ear opening are approximately the same in size. The limbs are long and strong. The longest finger on the forelimb is equal in length to the forearm.
Head yellowish on the sides, yellow-green on top, speckled with dark brown spots. Muzzle with a bright pattern. An irregular yellowish streak passes from the eye to the ear opening. There is a wide black temporal lane. The tongue is pink with a yellow finish. The neck is black, four large spots can be located on the sides of the neck. The body is on top from dark green to black. The front half of the body has no spots or with a few obscure lighter spots. The hind two-thirds of the body and hind legs are painted black or green, turning into turquoise on the sides of the legs and toes. From the middle of the body to the tail, on the dorsal side there is a star-shaped pattern or many very small light spots of cream or yellow color. The base of the tail is from yellowish-green to pistachio in color, passing into blue on the sides and back. The back of the tail is completely blue or blue with dark stripes. The belly is light, without spots.
Spread
Varanus yowonoi is currently known only from its typical location on Halmahera Island near Jailolo ( Moluccas , Indonesia ). Around this settlement are the steep slopes of the foothills of the central mountains, overgrown with dense tropical forest. Along the roads in this area, the forest is sparse and there are cut areas. A typical specimen of V. yowonoi was mined in the area. Halmacher is a fairly large center of population concentration, so it is interesting that this species has not been described for so long.
Lifestyle
little is known about the ecology and behavior of this species in the wild. Varanus yuwonoi - active lizards living on the ground, finding food under fallen bark and branches, in mammalian burrows and near water. They eat carrion , small mammals, other lizards and eggs .
Like all monitor lizards, V. yuwonoi lays eggs, but breeding data is still insufficient.
Classification
Varanus yuwonoi belongs to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus .
This species was named after Frank Yuwono, an Australian biologist and animal trader who put together a sample series.