Peach-throated monitor

The peach-throated monitor (Varanus jobiensis), also known as the Sepik monitor, is a species of monitor lizard native to New Guinea.

Peach-throated monitor
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Varanidae
Genus:	Varanus
Subgenus:	Euprepiosaurus
Species:	V. jobiensis
Binomial name
Varanus jobiensis Ahl, 1932[3]
Synonyms[4]
Varanus indicus jobiensis Ahl, 1932 Varanus karlschmidti Mertens, 1951 Varanus jobiensis — Böhme, 1991 Varanus (Euprepiosaurus) jobiensis — Ziegler et al., 2007

Taxonomy

Varanus jobiensis belongs to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus, which includes species such as the blue-tailed monitor and mangrove monitor, both of which it is sympatric with in much of its range.

It is likely that this species is actually a species complex of multiple different species that have been diverging since the Pliocene, and diverged from the V. indicus species complex 4.7 million years ago.^[5]

Distribution

Madang Province, Papua New Guinea

Peach-throated monitors are endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands such as Biak, Salawati, Yapen, Normanby, and Waigeo.^[5] It occurs in rainforests at altitudes of 0–900 m (0–2,953 ft).^[1]

Description

Peach-throated monitors grow up to 120 centimetres (3.9 ft) in total length (including tail). The colour of the throat is white-yellow to red, to which one of its common names refers.

Diet

Peach-throated monitors primarily eat insects, and sometimes frogs,^[5] but may also take freshwater fish and small mammals.^[6]

As food

Peach-throated monitors are hunted for human consumption in New Guinea.^[7]

Reproduction

Peach-throated monitors are oviparous.^[4]

Peach-throated monitor in a vivarium

Etymology

The specific name, jobiensis, which is Latin, means "from Jobi". Jobi is the island also known as Yapen, which is the type locality of this species.^[4]

The junior synonym, Varanus karlschmidti, was named in honour of American herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt.^[8]

Gallery

• 
  Raja Ampat Papua, 2017
• 
  Raja Ampat Papua, 2017
• 
  Raja Ampat Papua, 2017, note the peach coloured throat
• 
  On wall